DATE: Sunday, November 2, 1997              TAG: 9711020313

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   48 lines

NO. 3 U.VA. UPSET BY ODU IN SOCCER

When first-year Old Dominion University men's soccer coach Alan Dawson hits the recruiting trail this season, he'll carry a precious gem with him: a victory over national power Virginia.

The Monarchs made their only legitimate scoring opportunity count Saturday night when freshman forward Patrick Halter blasted a 25-yard shot over the head of oncoming Virginia keeper Mike Forensich with 29 minutes remaining to top the third-ranked Cavaliers 1-0.

The victory, coming in front of an announced crowd of 2,553, is ODU's biggest since knocking off top-ranked Evansville 11 years ago.

ODU, which struggled through a 3-17 campaign in 1996, is 7-7-1 heading into its regular-season finale at Richmond next Saturday.

Virginia (11-3-3) outshot the Monarchs 16-2 officially, but even Halter admitted that what was credited as ODU's other shot on goal was a first-half gift.

``Tommy (Carter) crossed the ball and I went up to head it, but I didn't touch it,'' Halter said.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, had excellent scoring opportunities throughout, beginning with Chris Albright's header from just right of the goal that hit the left post four minutes in.

Then with two minutes remaining before half, Matt Chulis smoked a shot from 25 yards away in transition, forcing ODU keeper Michael Rodriguez to make a remarkable one-hand stab for the save.

Virginia was without two of its regular starters as leading scorer Ben Olsen and defender Scott Vermillion both sat out after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season earlier in the week against Mount St. Mary's. Under NCAA rules, a fifth yellow card results in a one-game suspension.

Halter's moment in the spotlight came when he gathered the ball 45 yards out and drove left past Virginia's Chad Prince and Chulis.

``He made his window of opportunity count,'' Dawson said. ``One more touch and the keeper closes it down.''

Virginia upped the pressure in the closing minutes, but ODU's protection, led by defender Michael McCatty, weathered the late drives. With five minutes left, McCatty cleared a loose ball that was bounding in front of the goal after a corner-kick induced traffic jam. Three minutes later, he headed out another Virginia corner.

``That's soccer and we have no excuses,'' said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch. ``We knew what this game was going to look like and it played out exactly that way. And the players we were without is not that big an issue. We should have won this game.''

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