In the latest chapter of a fierce rivalry, the men’s soccer team draws 1-1 with Maryland – The Cavalier Daily

Two penalties told the story Monday night in College Park, Md. They came just six minutes apart but looked nothing alike, one bulging the side netting, the other barely sliding in. They counted the same, identical points on both sides of the Ludwig Field scoreboard in a wild 1-1 tie between Virginia and Maryland.

It’s the biggest rivalry in college football, a derby with its own Wikipedia page, a conflict that every year produces videos of players bleeding. There was no blood spilled Monday. It could have been, if only because of the taunts from the home fans during the first game in Maryland since 2015.

“They call you names,” junior linebacker Nick Dang said. “They talk about your girlfriend, your mom, whatever. It’s funny. But just stop caring about it, and it’s not a big deal.”

The game marked a departure from the crushing consistency of the Cavaliers’ (2-1-1, 0-0-0 ACC) first three games, with all of their one-sided possessions. The Terrapins (1-1-2, 0-0-0 Big 10) forced the Cavaliers into a style they’re not used to early on, controlling the first 25 minutes.

They created several chances and even forced a diving save from senior goalkeeper Joey Batrouni, just his second of the season. But it all came to nothing. Allowing Maryland the ball was actually part of Virginia’s plan.

“Usually when we press them, they just kick and it gets hectic,” coach George Gelnovatch said. “So we tried to pull away from them a little bit and see if we could take control of the game that way.”

Virginia eventually took control, gradually working its way into the game, and chances began to materialize. The best of them seemed certain, until Maryland freshman goalie Laurin Mack got caught in a split defense and hit a bar-arm into a one-on-one chance by junior defender Reese Miller.

The first goal came almost by accident, as junior midfielder Umberto Pelà, re-passing a cleared cross on the edge of the penalty area, touched the ball and took a step forward.

His next step never came. His foot got in the way and dragged him down, prompting an immediate cry from the away bench. The whistle immediately blew, signalling a crucial penalty. A visit to the referee’s VAR monitor quickly confirmed the original decision.

Dang entered, performing his duties without ceremony, just deadly dispassion. Three measured steps back, a grab by the hips, then a shot that pierced the lower left corner, and then everyone dressed in grenades rushed Dang in the corner.

It may have surprised some that Dang, a defender, took the penalty. But he is one of the team’s designated hitters and scored on a penalty kick against North Carolina during the spring league. He felt confident, he said, and the authoritative penalty kick showed it.

The lead lasted less than six minutes. A loose ball drifted for a fleeting moment on the edge of the Virginia penalty area, sending junior forward Triton Beauvois and a Maryland player forward. The Maryland player got there first, then fell to the ground over Beauvois’ foot.

Just like the first time, the whistle blew, the referee visited the video monitor and the decision was upheld. And just like the first time, the penalty taker scored.

But not without a collective gasp from everyone watching. The penalty to sophomore midfielder Leon Koehl was, by any measure, badly taken. But the ball snaked under Batrouni, over the line and into the goal.

“I guessed,” Batrouni said. “Unfortunately, it went a little under me and it was bad luck that it went in.”

Batrouni could only wave his arms in frustration, resting his hands on his hips.

The second half saw a frenetic back-and-forth, with nothing being decided. Maryland started as the attacker, sending a few shots whizzing across the goal. But Virginia took control and graduate attacker Hayes Wood emerged, chasing a through ball and pushing a defender aside. Wood’s chance seemed certain, but Mack got into a split again and somehow used a jumping foot to push the ball away. Wood walked away with his hands on his head in disbelief.

“Two game-saving saves,” Gelnovatch said. “One of them ends in a win.”

It was, as they say, a fitting chapter in the rivalry. It was a game of physicality, of attacks that teetered on the edge of recklessness, at times unbalanced fanaticism. It was Virginia versus Maryland.

“It’s tough to play away games like that,” Gelnovatch said. “It’s a great environment they’ve created here. It’s loud. It’s tough to deal with. The fans are annoying. If you can deal with that, you can deal with anything.”

The challenge of the game was a key appetizer for the upcoming ACC play gauntlet, which Virginia will enter Friday when it hosts Duke at Klöckner Stadium. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.