BLACKSBURG – The No. 25 Virginia Tech men's soccer team dominated the stat sheet in a 3-3 double overtime result against UMass on Saturday evening at Thompson Field.
The Hokies (6-6-3, 5-5-2) bombarded the Minutemen's (7-1-3, 3-1-2) goal all match with 25 shots, 12 of which were on target, and earned 14 corners throughout the evening.
An early header from Filippo Begliardi Ghidini following a long ball into the box put UMass ahead in the 8th-minute.
Tech responded by putting forth constant attack on the UMass backline that Nick Blacklock was able to crumble in the 22nd-minute, following a play that he started back in the Hokies' own half.
Birkir Eythorsson catapulted the home side into the lead in the 66th-minute after Jakob Bluemler lobbed a ball across the goal to Eythorrson, who was able to head it home comfortably.
UMass did not fold however, responding with two goals in quick succession to put them back into the lead with 18 minutes remaining.
Zane Bubb found himself out of his usual position and in the box with the ball at his feet in the 77th-minute when he unleashed a shot that was likely heading wide but took a deflection into the visitor's net. The strike evened the score and sent Tech to its third consecutive overtime match at home, with matches against top-five opponents Clemson and Pitt not falling in the Hokies favor earlier.
Throughout the match, Tech lost two of its defenders to injury – Nathan Durst and Jakob Bluemler. However, UMass was held to only five shots on target all evening.
Both teams had some chances in the 20 minutes of extra time, but neither was able to pull through, ending the match in a tie.
The Hokies will now await the field announcement for the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. Following a fall campaign that saw Tech finish No. 4 in the country and ending the spring on a three-game unbeaten run with its full-strength side, the Hokies will hope to earn a fifth consecutive NCAA postseason berth.Gallery: (4-17-2021) 2020-2021 MEN'S SOCCER vs. UMASS