Collegiate Times

Tech freshman midfielder/forward Patrick Ryan holds off an East Tennessee State defender on Sunday.

The Virginia Tech men's soccer team played a pair of home contests over the weekend as part of the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational tournament, losing 1-0 to No. 11 South Florida on Friday and tying East Tennessee State 1-1 on Sunday.

The team's Friday loss against the defending Big East Champions, the South Florida Bulls, saw the Hokies keep their opponent scoreless for the entire first half before allowing the only needed goal of the night in the first minute of the second.

Senior captain and midfielder James Gilson led the Hokies with two shots including a laser from 25 yards out in the 27th minute that was heading for the top shelf of the goal before being deflected out of bounds. Both teams tallied three shots on goal and seven shots total in a game which saw each receive several scoring opportunities.

"To be honest, I thought that was a game which we could have won," head coach Michael Brizendine said. "We had 19 corner kicks and they scored their only goal off a bad pass. I'm not discrediting what they did - I think they're a very talented group. I thought that we showed we could play with one of the top teams in the country. We just came up a little short."

On Sunday, the Hokies and ETSU played to a 1-1 tie in a double-overtime contest that saw senior defender Alexander Baden score the equalizer with a little more than a minute left to play in regulation.

The Hokies had trailed the Buccaneers for most of the game as an own goal scored by one of Tech's defenders gave the visitors the early lead in the 7th minute of the first half.

"There was a stupid foul and then (senior goalkeeper Brendan) Dunn made a great save," Brizendine said. "Our player was trying to clear it and it just hit off his shin. It happens. You can't hold onto it. I definitely don't blame him. Everything else is what I'm upset about."

Despite the late-game comeback, coach Brizendine was not content with his team's sluggish start.

"I'm disappointed with the way we started the game," Brizendine said. "We were flat and gave them a PK and a couple other opportunities. We were lucky they weren't a little bit sharper on the night, or we would have paid the price."

Brizendine attributed the shaky start to the young players but was pleased with the team effort.

"We have young guys playing and when you have that, what you get each night is almost a crapshoot," Brizendine said. "And when we have to depend on those kids, it hurts. But the team showed a lot of character and we came back, which I'm happy about."

The head coach rejected any notion that the tie to ETSU, a soccer program in the second year of its existence that plays out of the Atlantic Sun Conference, is any indicator that the team is in for another long season similar to 2008 when the Hokies placed last in the Atlantic Coast Conference and finished with a record of 5-13-1.

"It's just another good game," Brizendine said. "They are a well-coached group and made things very difficult for us. Every game that we're going to play is going to be something new as far as what each opponent is bringing to the table. It's definitely not like last season. We're a much better group and our schedule is very difficult. I'm anxious in the sense that I want to do well and I think the results will continue to get better. I don't think it will be a 0-8 season in the ACC."

Gilson once again led the offensive attack for the Hokies, finishing the game with four shots. Redshirt junior and freshman midfielders Charlie Campbell and Gregory Cochrane along with sophomore forward Emmanuel Akogyeram each produced three shots.

"The biggest positive is that we fought back," Brizendine said. "They made it very difficult for us but we were able to push through that and score with two minutes left. Then we were able to not give anything up in overtime and we had some guys who had played a bunch of minutes."

Tech, now 1-2-2, is off until Sunday when it will visit Clemson for its conference opener with action beginning at 3 p.m. The Hokies' next home game will come soon after when they host American the following Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.