Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason sophomore forward Martim Sereno scored a pair of goals, while junior midfielder James Eliuda and graduate student midfielder Jacobo Sanfeliu each found the back of the net to lift the Patriots to a 4-1 victory over No. 11 Virginia in front of a crowd of 3,077 on Thursday night at George Mason Stadium.

The victory marks the highest-ranked win by the Patriots in 14 years.  The win tonight marks the second-highest seed that George Mason has beaten since they took down No. 2 Maryland on September 29, 2009.  It's the seventh win over a top-20 team in program history.

The crowd of 3,077 marked the largest for a George Mason men's soccer match in 25 years.  The 1,385 students in attendance set a new program record.

George Mason (1-1-0) took the lead over No. 11 Virginia (2-1-0) in the 18th minute of play.  Junior forward Kelly Janssen started the play from right side when he made a move past a defender and then kept the ball from going out of bounds in the penalty area to the right side of the goal.  Janssen then sent a perfect pass to Sereno, who ripped a shot past the goalkeeper and into the lower left corner for his first goal of the season to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

Eliuda also picked up his first assist of the season on the goal.

In the 26th minute, Patriots graduate student midfielder Sergio Gonzalez Fernandez had the ball and separation as he was heading toward the Virginia goal from 25 yards out.  He was hauled down by Cavaliers freshman defender Zach Ehrenpreis and a red card was issued.

On the ensuing free kick from 25 yards out in the center of the field, Gonzalez Fernandez sent the ball over the wall and on goal, where the Virginia goalkeeper made a save but couldn't control the ball.  The rebound bounced to Eliuda, who netted his first goal of the year when he ripped a low shot into the low center of the net to make it 2-0.

Virginia got on the board early in the second half off a corner kick.  In the 57th minute, Cavaliers freshman forward Nick Simmonds scored his first collegiate goal with a header from inside the six to make the score 2-1.

With the Cavaliers playing a man down, the Patriots again made it a two-goal game less than four minutes later.

In the 60th minute, senior midfielder Mouhamed Tucker sent a perfect cross from the left side of the penalty area to Sereno, who blistered a shot past the goalkeeper from 17 yards out to increase the lead to 3-1.  Tucker picked up his first assist as a Patriot and junior midfielder Javier Montava notched his first assist of the season on the play.

In the 76th minute, Fernandez took a shot from the top of the penalty area that hit the right post.  The rebound went to graduate student forward Jacobo Sanfeliu, who scored his first goal as a Patriot with the left leg into the left corner of the net from five yards out to increase the lead to 4-1.

HOW THEY SCORED

18' | Sereno scored with the right foot into the lower left corner from 10 yards out.
26' | Eliuda scored on a rebound with the right foot into the low center from six yards out.
57' | Simmonds scored with a header into the left corner from inside the six.
60' | Sereno scored with the right foot from the center of the penalty area from 17 yards out.
76' | Sanfeliu scored off a rebound into the left side of the net from five yards out.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Patriots outshot the Cavaliers, 18-16, including an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal.  George Mason had six corner kicks while Virginia had five corner kicks in the match.

Sereno netted a pair of goals and took five shots with three on goal.  Eliuda scored a goal and added an assist.  Gonzalez Fernandez notched his first two assists with the Green and Gold.  Janssen, Montava and Tucker each recorded an assist.

NEXT

The Patriots continue their four match homestand when they host Bucknell on Tuesday, Sept. 2 with the opening kick scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.