Men's soccer remains loss-less

The No. 24 Xavier men's soccer team remains
unbeaten after a late equalizer in a 1-1 double-overtime draw against the Virginia Cavaliers.
Gino De Paoli scored off of a free kick in the 85th minute to tie the match at 1-1. The junior midfielder struck the ball from 30 yards out, hitting the inside of the far post and ending up in the back of the net. The goal marked De Paoli's second goal of the season
and the fourth free-kick goal of his career.
The Musketeers (4-0-2) played a defensive first half keeping the match scoreless.
"The first half was the best we have played all year," head coach Andy Fleming said.
Virginia (3-2-1) scored first in the 67th minute on a deflection from Brian James. Upon further review it seemed the goal was deflected off of Xavier defender Nick Hagglund. The goal went unassisted and credited to James' first goal of the season.
Senior goalkeeper Justin Marshall had a solid game with four saves including a game-saver after Xavier's equalizer. The crucial
save by Marshall sent the game into extra time.
It appeared sophomore Darin Kruzich scored the winning goal with 90 seconds remaining, but was called offside. Extra time produced
no real threats from either team.
The Cavaliers held a 15-12 shots attempted advantage over the Musketeers as well as a 5-3 shots on target advantage.
"For a high-octane, deep and athletic team, we hung with them pretty well," Fleming said. "We had a couple opportunities late to win the game but also did a good job of making sure we got the point."
The Musketeers defeated the IPFW Mastadons on Tuesday night 2-0 on the road. This marks seven straight undefeated matches for Xavier, including five wins and two draws.
The Xavier men's soccer team will look to continue its success when they return home to take on the Missouri State Bears at 2 p.m. on Saturday.