Score: Virginia 3, (RV) VCU 1
Location: Charlottesville, Va. (Klöckner Stadium)
Records: VCU 5-3-1, Virginia 3-5-1
 
The short story: Graduate forward Pablo Varela Fraga gave VCU a halftime lead, but a late flurry of goals pushed the Cavaliers to a midweek non-conference win.
 
QUICK FACTS

• Varela Fraga's 38th minute goal was the first of his VCU career.
• Kickoff was delayed for nearly two hours due to thunderstorms in the area.
• The Rams played with 10 men for the final 13 minutes of the match after Zeron Sewell was shown a red card.
• VCU held a 7-6 advantage in shots at halftime, and had the more dangerous scoring opportunities of the first period. Eventually, Virginia outshot the Rams by an 18-13 margin for the match.
• Virginia's Kome Ubogu was involved in every Cavaliers goal, scoring two and assisting another.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Rams had an early chance through a corner kick in the 14th minute. After the ball skimmed over heads crashing the box, senior forward Biska Biyombo collected possession at the back post, nutmegged a defender, and played a ball in for redshirt freshman Ethan Manheim, who directed a shot on goal that was saved.
• VCU was dangerous through a corner kick again in the 29th minute, with Pompeu volleying a shot from the back post just wide right of the goal.
• Senior defender Simon Fitch got forward in the 35th minute, and forced a save at the bottom corner after firing a shot from distance.
• The Rams took the lead in the 38th minute. Sophomore midfielder Celio Pompeu sprinted past a defender and played a low cross into the box, which was deflected out. Varela Fraga pounced on the loose ball and took a first-time shot that was blocked by a Virginia defender. Varela Fraga then struck the rebound with his left, sending a stinging shot into the side netting for a goal.
• Senior defender Toranosuke Abe forced a save in the 55th minute, taking a pass back from freshman midfielder Philip Klomp, then hitting a left-footed strike that dipped on goal.
• Ubogu scored twice within three minutes to give Virginia the lead, heading home Chris Scheipe's corss in the 69th minute and sliding to finish Ank Nibogora's through ball in the 71st.
• Sewell was given a red card in the 78th minute after a foul on a breakaway stopped a goal-scoring opportunity.
• Ubogu set up Michael Tsicoulias in the 81st minute for the Cavaliers' final goal of the match.

 
QUOTING HEAD COACH DAVE GIFFARD
"A disappointing result after a very good first 70 minutes or so; we lost our composure a bit in the last 20 minutes and gave up three soft goals and had a player sent off. In the end, we needed to take the chances we had to score the second goal and end the game, but when you don't, you're going to need to be much stingier and disciplined to see the game out. An important opportunity for us to learn a new lesson as we move into the second half of the regular season."
 
UP NEXT
The Rams return to Atlantic 10 play Saturday, Oct. 2 with a match at La Salle in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. Every A-10 match is streamed on ESPN+.