HARRISONBURG, VA –Virginia Tech's tenth-ranked men's soccer team got off to their second consecutive 3-0 start to the season Friday afternoon after knocking off a physical Loyola side at Sentara Park 2-1.
The Greyhounds moved to 0-3 on the season with the result.
The match began how all of the Hokies' contests have so far in 2019, with an early goal. Tech got on the board with Daniel Pereira's first career tally in the third minute when the freshman took a layoff from Kristo Strickler about 25 yards out and fired home a strike with his right boot to the far post.
Loyola had a few opportunities in the half but nothing reached the frame of Mathijs Swaneveld's goal.
Tech applied the pressure all half with eight shots and five corner kicks. Strickler and Pereira each had chances, Strickler saw one shot blocked in the box, and another was saved with the fingertips out for a corner kick. Pereira also looked to double the advantage this time with the right foot but his effort went wide of the target. Perhaps the best chance of the half fell to the feet of Camron Lennon who received a pass from Strickler who the ball off of the defender and slid it across the box, but his attempt was smothered.
At the break Tech had eight shots to the Greyhounds' five and owned four more corner kick opportunities.
Tech started the second half on the back foot as Loyola applied pressure which would pay off in the 51stminute when Brian Saramago crossed the ball from the right wing to Barry Sharifi who headed the ball over the line.
In the 76th minute, Chris Little hit a cross that was settled across the box by Justus Kauppinen who passed it on to James Kasak who took a touch and beat his man, then fired home a shot into the far post which would hold up as the game winner, the first of his career.
For the remainder of the match, Tech saw off any Loyola attack and closed out the match to earn their third successive win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Tech outshot the Greyhounds 14-12
- In a physical game, Loyola was whistled for 12, while the Hokies committed six infractions
- Both squads had five corner kicks
- In goal, Mathijs Swaneveld recorded a single save and Loyola's Chase Vosvick had four
- Kasak, Tech's left back was tied for the team lead in shots and had the most on target, including his game winner.
GAME NOTES
- With Pereira's goal in the third minute, the Hokies have scored in the seventh minute or earlier in all three games this season. It was the freshman's first career goal, which came from Strickler's first assist of the season.
- Jacob Labovitz made his first start for the Hokies. The transfer scored an insurance goal in the Hokies' win at UC Santa Barbara last week.
UP NEXT
The Hokies are back at Sentara Park on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. to take on the Hofstra Pride in their second game of the JMU Invitational.Gallery: (9/6/2019) 2019 MEN'S SOCCER vs. LOYOLA