Virginia Tech Men's Soccer Blanks Canisius, Moves to 2-0

The scoreboard told the simple story: two goals — one in each half — and a second consecutive shutout in net for senior goalkeeper Sam Joseph. And so did the stats. 32 Hokie shots to Canisius’ four. 17 Tech corner kicks to just two from Canisius. Nine saves forced from the Golden Griffins’ pair of goalkeepers. For long stretches, it was an exercise in pressure and persistence, with the Hokies swarming, probing and creating wave after wave of opportunity until the breakthrough inevitably came. Though just nine of Tech's 32 shots were on target, that was enough.

The first goal for the Hokies arrived in the 19th minute, coming from the boot of senior midfielder Alex Perez. After Tech had rattled off a flurry of early corners and half-chances, Perez found himself with space just outside the box. His strike was clinical, rippling the net to give the Hokies a 1-0 lead.

Tech had already registered five shots in the opening quarter-hour before Perez' tally. His finish made it official: the Hokies were in command, and Canisius would spend the rest of the afternoon trying to hang on.

However, the Golden Griffins struggled to even cross midfield, registering zero shots in the opening 45 minutes. At the break, the stat sheet painted a lopsided picture: Virginia Tech with 14 attempts, Canisius with none.

Halftime brought changes for both sides, but the script didn’t shift. Tech picked up where it left off, pressing forward, rotating fresh legs, and keeping Joseph’s gloves clean. Four minutes into the second half, the match tilted decisively.

In the 51st minute, junior midfielder Ugo Bertelli met the ball, sending the ball just right of the Golden Griffins' reserve goalkeeper Preston Harold into the bottom right corner. The goal doubled Tech’s advantage and the margin stayed there for the remainder of the match.

From there, the Hokies simply managed the match. Defender Tito Peralta ended with a team-high six attempts, with three on target. Midfielder Ian Marcano was everywhere in midfield, rifling five shots and striking the woodwork midway through the first half. And by the final whistle, 14 different Hokies tallied shots, evidence of a system designed around collective pressure.

Defensively, Tech remained airtight. Joseph was called into action just twice, calmly handling shots from Canisius defender Kyle Pollard and substitute Griffen Dehm. Even when the Golden Griffins earned a pair of second-half corners, the Hokies cleared danger with minimal fuss.

Final score? Virginia Tech 2, Canisius 0. From the opening whistle to the last, the Hokies controlled every phase of the game, dictating tempo, overwhelming the Golden Griffins with pressure and showcasing the depth and precision that define a complete team performance. The shutout and two goals tell one story, but the collective dominance tells another: a statement that Virginia Tech is building momentum and confidence and starting to cultivate an identity defined not by a single star, but by a collective effort.

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