October 18, 2014
Tech falls to Wake Forest, 1-0
Nearly-missed chances prove costly in low-scoring game
12F
Wake Forest (4-8-2) 011
(10) Virginia Tech (12-4-0) 000
  • Thompson Field - 826

BLACKSBURG - The tenth-ranked Virginia Tech women’s soccer team fell to Wake Forest, 1-0, Saturday night at Thompson Field. A goal from deep in the 73nd minute from Wake Forest’s Kim Marshall handed Tech its second-straight loss.

“I felt it was a game that could have gone either way,” head coach Chugger Adair said. “Wake is a very good possession team. I thought we lacked possession from the midfield to the attacking third. I thought we did a poor job connecting passes and creating opportunities. The game just didn’t flow for us tonight.”

The Hokies (12-4-0, 3-4-0 ACC) entered tonight’s game in a must-win situation, like every ACC game, vying for the top spot in the ACC Tournament, which has been reduced to only four teams this year. They were also eager to bounce back from a heart-breaking loss to No. 2 Florida State last Sunday. Wake Forest (3-8-2, 1-4-1 ACC) was also coming off of a loss, having fallen to Duke last Sunday, 2-1.

For the first 45 minutes, neither team scored but the chances weren’t lacking. For much of the half, Wake Forest frustrated Tech’s possession, dispelling the offensive pressure of the high-powered Hokie offense. On a few sequences, though, Tech looked sharp and nearly scored.

In the 17th minute, Madi Conyers found the ball on the right wing and sent a cross into the middle that found the head of Ashley Meier. Meier’s header skidded past the Wake Forest goalie and Candace Cephers finished the ball into the goal. No score was allowed, however, because the referee signaled an offside on the play.

The team’s entered the half scoreless with Wake Forest holding a slight, 6-5, advantage in shots.

In the 57th minute, Murielle Tiernan broke free of the Wake Forest defense and sprinted down the field on a breakaway. When she fired her shot past the diving Wake Forest keeper, it rolled a foot wide of the goal.

A few minutes later, a free kick just outside the penalty box gave Tech an opportunity on goal. Kelsey Loupee sent a shot through the wall of defenders and close to the goal. Tiernan deflected the Loupee shot towards the goal but her attempt rolled just wide, cueing the Thompson Field crowd to give a loud sigh of frustration at the second near miss in ten minutes.

In the 73rd minute, Wake Forest’s Kim Marshall took a shot from 35 yards out that sailed just over the leaping Caroline Kelly to give Wake Forest the 1-0 lead.

The Hokies responded with lots of offensive action, pushing their attack near the Wake Forest goal, but they were unable to put anything away.

With the loss, the Hokies fall to 12-4-0, 3-4-0 in the ACC. This is the first time Tech has lost two-straight games since 2012, when it lost to No. 4 Boston College and No. 18 North Carolina.

Next up for Tech is a road game at Syracuse next Thursday night at 7 p.m.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter

HokieSports Shop