CARY, N.C. – The California men's soccer team's late-season run came to an end Thursday night at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Park, where the 12th-seeded Golden Bears fell to top-seeded and fourth-ranked Virginia 2-1.
 
Cal's record fell to 8-8-2, while the Cavaliers' record improved to 12-1-4. Virginia advances to Sunday's final to play the winner of the second semifinal between Syracuse and SMU.
 
The Bears played well in the first half and outshot Virginia 7-2, with goalkeeper Connor Lambe saving the first shot of the game by Umberto Pela at 10:10. The woodwork helped Cal keep the game 0-0 at 10:28 when Nicholas Simmonds' shot hit the far post. The Cavaliers did not record another shot until the second half.
 
In the 24th minute, Cal defender Alfredo Ortiz fired a long-range shot that goalkeeper Casper Mols saved. Cal threatened again in the 38th minute when, after its corner kick was initially cleared, the Bears crossed the ball back into the Virginia box, leading to a header by midfielder Callen Lews that was cleared off the goal line by a Virginia field player. The score remained 0-0 at halftime.
 
Cal came out strong in the second half and outshot Virginia 10-5 in the final 45 minutes. But the game changed in the 74th minute. Virginia defender Jesus De Vicente crossed the ball into the Bears' penalty area, and Cal defender Beau Morrison tried to clear it but accidentally knocked the ball into the Cal net for an own goal. Virginia led 1-0.
 
With Cal pressing for an equalizer, Virginia tallied its second goal in the 82nd minute, as A.J. Smith scored off an assist from Marco Dos Santos.
 
The Bears weren't done. At 86:59, a ball served into the Virginia box found Cal forward Luka Lukic, whose header glanced off the far goalpost and into the path of Morrison, who headed the ball into the net before a Cavalier quickly cleared it. Initially ruled a goal on the field, a VAR review confirmed the goal, and Cal trailed 2-1. The goal was Morrison's second straight, as he scored the game winner in the 1-0 ACC quarterfinal win over Pitt in Berkeley.
 
Lewis had a header saved by Mols at 88:51 and Cal midfielder Noe Morales had his last-second shot blocked before the final whistle ended the game.
 
"I'm proud of this group," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "We had a lot of high moments this year and to get to the ACC semifinals two years in a row is an accomplishment."
 
With a .500 record at 8-8-2, Cal has a chance – albeit slight – to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. Prior to Thursday, Cal posted three consecutive wins – including an upset of then-No. 1 Stanford in the regular-season finale and a victory at fifth-seeded Duke in the ACC tournament opener – and won four of its previous five games.
 
"There's a small chance," Griffin said. "Who knows? We'll see. If you look at our end of season record, that speaks for itself in terms of a team that's tournament ready."
 
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