Virginia Tech men's soccer put together a complete performance on Friday night, defeating Kentucky 3-0 in a match the Hokies controlled from start to finish. Virginia Tech out-shot Kentucky 14-7, doubled up the Wildcats on corner kicks 12-4, and got goals from three different players as the Hokies picked up a statement non-conference win.
Virginia Tech wasted little time asserting control. In the 11th minute, defender Noe Uwimana buried his second goal of the season off an assist from Alvaro Ruiz-Mateos, giving the Hokies a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. The early strike set the tone for a first half in which Virginia Tech out-shot Kentucky 6-2 and forced Kentucky goalkeeper Gilles Monti into early work. Kentucky had a look of its own in the 37th minute when Thomas Berteotti tested Dauzier with a shot on frame, but the Virginia Tech goalkeeper made the stop to preserve the clean sheet heading into the break.
Virginia Tech continued to press after halftime, and the pressure paid off in the 73rd minute. Parker Polk scored his first goal of the season, once again assisted by Ruiz-Mateos, who now had two helpers on the night. The goal capped a stretch where Virginia Tech dominated possession and territory, piling up corner kicks and forcing Kentucky into a string of second-half fouls. Kentucky picked up three yellow cards in the second half — Mats Brune (64'), Bains Smith (78'), and Max Schrader (81') — as the Wildcats struggled to contain a Hokies attack that kept coming in waves.
With the match well in hand, Virginia Tech added an exclamation point in the 87th minute. A foul on Schaerer set up a penalty kick, which Yanis Belatrache converted for his first goal of the season, making it 3-0 and putting the finishing touch on a dominant night for the Hokies.
Virginia Tech's balanced attack was on display throughout the match, with 14 total shots and contributions from up and down the lineup. Belatrache finished with two shots and a goal, Ruiz-Mateos tallied two assists, Polk added a shot and a goal to go with Uwimana's shot and goal, and Diego Dauzier played all 90 minutes in net, making three saves to secure the shutout. On the other side, Kentucky's Gilles Monti made two saves in a losing effort, and the Wildcats were unable to solve a stingy Virginia Tech backline that kept them off the scoreboard for all 90 minutes.
The Hokies are now 2-1 with their first ACC game of the season coming up next Saturday at NC State at 7pm on ACC Network Extra.
