TicketsSept. 2, 2011
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision to Virginia on Friday, Sept. 2, in the opener of the Hilton Garden Inn Invitational at Virginia Tech's Thompson Field.
The match saw a pair of weather delays, the second of which ended the match after 85 minutes of play.
"We honestly did not play our best game," said head coach Hylton Dayes. "We seemed a bit lethargic and not 'up' for the game. We need to better understand the level at which we need to compete to beat a quality team such as Virginia."
The Bearcats (1-1-0) and Cavaliers (2-1-0) were scoreless in the first half, with the teams combining for only seven total shots. The first delay, due to lightning in the surrounding area, came with 32 minutes left in the second half and the match still scoreless.
Virginia got on the board in the 60th minute when Will Bates volleyed home a Brian Span cross inside the 12-yard area for his third goal in as many games.
The Bearcats had a few scoring chances in the late stages of the match, but were unable to equalize.
Cincinnati was solid defensively outside of the breakdown in the back that led to the lone Virginia goal. UVa was coming off a 7-1 win against Richmond earlier in the week in which it seemingly scored at will.
"The good thing is we get another chance against a good Virginia Tech team on Sunday," Dayes continued. "We look forward to trying to get back on track against another strong opponent."
UC will take on host Virginia Tech on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 2:30 p.m. in the tournament finale.