CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. --- After the Pilots got second-half goals from Eddie Sanchez and Hugo Rhoads to level the score, Virginia's Simeon Okoro netted the game-winner with only 50 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the No. 11 Cavaliers to a 3-2 win over Portland on Monday night at Klöckner Stadium. After the Virginia goal, the Pilots nearly equalized once again, but the shot from Jackson Jellah was high of the frame.
 
Trailing 2-0 at the break, the Pilots (2-6-2) came out of the locker room energized and dominated possession throughout the second half. In the 65th minute, Sanchez pulled one back after he ran onto a long ball played forward by Rhoads. The junior midfielder fought off a defender to clear some space before drilling a low shot past Virginia goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell.
 
Moments later it was Rhoads who claimed the equalizer when he connected on a 1-2 with Thomas Peterson. Rhoads sent a short pass to the posting-up Peterson, who hit it back to Rhoads inside the left edge of the box. The senior forward did the rest, finishing past Caldwell inside the left post, tying the score 2-2 in the 72nd minute.
 
Portland continued to attack the final third from there, searching for the game-winner, but it was the Cavaliers (7-1-2) who found the back of the net to escape with the win. On a free kick from 35 yards out, Patrick Foss sent a ball into the box, where Wesley Suggs re-directed it to Okoro near the left post. Okoro tapped it in from there for his first career goal.
 
The Pilots held a 7-4 advantage in shots in the second half and Virginia finished with a slight 5-4 edge overall in shots on-goal. Both Portland keeper Paul Christensen and Caldwell recorded two saves on the night.
 
The Pilots looked good early and created a handful of opportunities during the first 10 minutes. In the eighth minute Peterson hit a shot from 15 yards out towards the left post, but Caldwell made a nice diving save to keep the game scoreless. Sanchez then found himself unmarked in the box with possession, but his shot from 12 out was high of the crossbar.
 
The Cavaliers then connected on their first goal when Edward Opoku put away a nice pass from Sam Hayward in the 17th minute. Hayward sent a low pass from near the end line towards the top of the 18. That's where Opoku hit a ball into the right corner of the net to give UVA the 1-nil lead.
 
Eight minutes later it was a 2-0 game when Foss whipped in a stellar cross from left of the 18. Marcus Salandy-Defour was there for the tap-in, and just like that the Virginia advantage was two goals.
 
The Pilots next return home to open play in the West Coast Conference when the Gonzaga Bulldogs visit on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Merlo Field.