cavaliers Suffer Heartbreaking 1-0 Loss to SMU in ACC Tournament championship
DURHAM, N.C. – Teh Virginia Cavaliers men’s soccer team saw its quest for an ACC Tournament title fall short Sunday, dropping a 1-0 decision to SMU in the championship final. A late penalty kick proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested match,sending the Mustangs to the tournament crown and leaving the Cavaliers to regroup ahead of the NCAA tournament.
The defeat marks a setback for Virginia, which had been building momentum throughout the season with a strategy focused on controlling the first half and wearing down opponents. Head coach George Gelnovich expressed disappointment with the penalty call, stating, “This was a difficult game for us to lose on a pen like that,” and acknowledged the impact of a late injury to Stephen Hurlock, which limited his team’s substitution options in the final minutes. Despite the loss, Gelnovich anticipates the experience will serve as motivation as the team turns its attention to the national stage.
Virginia’s game plan of establishing dominance early and capitalizing with goals proved challenging against a resilient SMU side. The cavaliers’ efforts were further intricate by Hurlock’s injury within the final 10 minutes, leaving the team unable to replace him. Gelnovich noted the difficulty of navigating the postseason without facing adversity, adding, “It’s really hard to go into this postseason…without setback. And today is a setback,which I hope,and think will reinvigorate us.”
The 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship bracket will be announced Monday, November 17, with the selection show scheduled for 1 p.m. and available for streaming on NCAA.com. The first round of competition will follow shortly after.
