1 | 2 | F | |
---|---|---|---|
Virginia Tech (8-2-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Virginia (8-1-0) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
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CHARLOTTESVILLE – In a well-played chess match between two in-state rival competitors, No. 5 Virginia got the best of the No. 17 Virginia Tech women's soccer team tonight, as the Cavaliers defeated the Hokies, 2-0, in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season opener, at Klocker Stadium, in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The loss snapped the Hokies (8-2, 0-1) four-game win streak. It is the team’s first defeat since falling to Ohio State, 2-1, on Sept. 1 in Blacksburg.
The Hokies were done in by two corner kick opportunities, as Virginia’s Kristen McNabb scored her first multi-goal game of the season. Virginia’s senior goalkeeper Morgan Stearns earned the win, while freshman goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn tallied seven saves in her 10th start with the Hokies.
McNabb put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard first, scoring off a corner kick from senior midfielder Alexis Shaffer. Senior defender Meghan Cox recorded the double assist on the play, as she placed the ball inside the six-yard line for McNabb to punch in the score. McNabb took a strike at the net, as the ball soared past the outstretched hands of McGlynn in the 31st minute.
Virginia then padded its lead in the 75th minute. Shaffer set up for another corner, as she placed the ball perfectly inside the 18 to a waiting McNabb. McNabb turned around and took a shot from 14-yards out, as the ball bended around McGlynn and went far left post.
The Hokies applied pressure throughout 90 minutes of play, but could not seem to connect on the offensive side of the ball. Junior Laila Gray recorded the Hokies’ lone shot on-goal.
HEAD COACH CHUGGER ADAIR QUOTES
“We played hard. We competed. We battled. We gave it all that we had. I was proud of the kids’ effort tonight, but it was disappointing. We gave up two goals on corners. It’s frustrating, but coming here is tough. UVa is a good sign. They have been very good at home.”
“We have to build off the effort tonight. We competed. We had a couple of chances to get back in the match, but that second corner made it a little bit more challenging with 15 minutes to go. We were chasing the game, and the game opened up toward the end. It left us exposed a little bit, but we tried to make it a little crazy at the end to get the result. It didn’t work out for us, but the girls worked hard. They battled, and they competed. There is definitely something to build off of.”
NOTES
Virginia owns a 15-3-1 all-time series edge over the Hokies … UVa outshot Tech 23-6 on the evening … The Cavaliers also finished with a 12-1 edge in corner kicks… Junior midfielder Madi Conyers had a team-high two shots.
NEXT UP
The Hokies will continue conference play on the road, as the they travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for a match against No. 7 UNC on Thursday, Sept. 22. First kick from Fetzer Field is set for 7 p.m. Links for live stats and video are available at HokieSports.com, as the match will be streamed live on the ACC Network Extra through WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow all the action during each match of the 2016 season by following the squad on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer