CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. --- Matthew Coffey gave Portland the early lead when he scored in the 12th minute, but the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers responded with a second-half equalizer and an overtime game-winner as they earned the 2-1 win over the Pilots in a non-conference men's soccer game played on Monday night at Klockner Stadium. The game was the second straight vs. a top-10 opponent for the Pilots, who dominated No. 9 Western Michigan at home on Friday night, winning 4-1.
 
Monday's game-winner came in the 96th minute when Virginia's (7-1-2) Robin Afamefuna collected a pass near the far touchline before sending a long, low, searching ball into the area. It eventually found Edward Opoku, who knocked it in for his sixth goal on the year.
 
Coffey's goal, his second of the season, came on a perfectly executed set piece by the Pilots (5-5-0). After a foul called on Virginia just outside the 18 gave the Pilots a free kick, Rey Ortiz found Billy Garton with a short pass. Garton turned and connected with Coffey, who made a well-timed run to find space behind the Virginia wall. The redshirt-senior did the rest, tucking one away to give the visiting side an early advantage. Garton and Ortiz both earned an assist, with Ortiz tallying his league-best ninth on the year.
 
It's also the second straight game to score a goal for Coffey.
 
The Pilots continued to create chances from there, which included Malcolm Dixon heading one high off a nice ball played in by Ortiz on a corner. Ortiz would miss the target late in the first half with a free kick from long range, and Shane Aranda just missed the upper 90 when he hit a shot from the top of the area.
 
At the other end of the field, senior goalkeeper Paul Christensen did well to preserve the 1-0 lead. He made a big-time stop on a shot from Prosper Figbe in the 35th minute, and he alertly smothered a low shot hit by Pablo Aguilar that took an unexpected awkward bounce just before it reached the keeper in the 40th minute.

"Our guys played an excellent first half tonight after having a very bright start to the game," Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said. "We came out strong and had chances to go up 2-0.  I couldn't be more proud of the players and the program as we went toe-to-toe with one of the top ACC programs in the country for long stretches."  
 
Still leading 1-0 in the second half, the Pilots were solid on defense, forcing the home side into taking shots from distance. But in the 73rd minute, a loose ball fell to the feet of Aguilar inside a crowded 18-yard box, and Aguilar finished from point-blank range with the equalizer.
 
Both teams had their chances during the closing minutes of regulation, including in the 81st minute when Ortiz sent in a ball that found the feet of Gio Magana-Rivera. The sophomore then hit one that had the keeper beat and seemed destined for the left corner of the net, but a UVA defender blocked it at the last second, sending it safely away.
 
On a Portland free kick in the 85th minute, Jason Romero's shot skimmed the outside of the right post as the game remained tied and eventually headed to extra time.

"In the second half we ran out of gas party due to the fact we didn't pass the ball well enough, that is something we will have to improve," added Carlin-Voigt. "UVA is the most athletic team we faced all year and there a reason they are ranked in the top 10 in the country. We played a top-10 non-conference schedule in the country according to RPI, which will prepare us for the rigors of our conference. We will now shift our focus to season two, which is conference play as we host another top-20 nationally ranked team in Pacific. We are excited to return home to Merlo and play in front of our fans and Portland soccer community."
 
The Pilots return to The Bluff to open the West Coast Conference campaign against league-favorite Pacific on Saturday night. Kickoff between the Pilots and Tigers is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live regionally on NBC Sports Northwest. Pacific advanced to the NCAA Second Round last year, and they check in at No. 26 in the first RPI of the season.