The Virginia women's soccer team left Klöckner Stadium Friday night more than a little frustrated.
After a daunting first half that left them down 1-0 to No. 2 Clemson, the No. 14 Cavaliers rebounded with the tying goal early in the second half and kept pace with the Tigers through the end of regulation play. But less than two minutes into sudden death overtime, Clemson put away the crucial goal, bringing the Cav comeback to an abrupt end and handing them a 2-1 loss.
When the whistle blew at the end of regulation, Virginia (5-5, 1-2 ACC) had seized the momentum and seemed poised to carry it into overtime to challenge the Tigers for victory. But two minutes into the extra period, Clemson (11-0, 3-0) ended the match on a counterattack following a Virginia shot. Tiger forward Lindsay Browne crossed the ball to fellow attacker Cindy Mullinix, who one-timed it into the net past Cav goalkeeper Jodi Clugston.
"We put ourselves in a position to win it and we played awfully well," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "It's hard sometimes to not take stock in the results, but in many ways it should be a good confidence booster for our team. We played well and had some good chances, especially at the end."
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Freshman forward Sarah Lane, celebrating her 19th birthday, logged the Cavs' only goal, the second of her career. Off a corner kick by defender Ashley Meeker, Lane headed the ball past Clemson goalkeeper Katie Carson in the 55th minute.
The goal "was great," Lane said. "It was my first at Klöckner and it was my birthday. It couldn't have come at a better time."
Lane's goal came at an opportune time indeed. The Cavaliers spent much of the first half defending not only their goal against the quick and persistent Tigers, but also defending their style of play.
The young Cav defenders, usually balanced for restarting attacks and switching fields with the ball, were under constant pressure from the Tigers, who forced them to make instant decisions and passes.
Clemson forward Deliah Arrington provided much of the Tigers' offensive pressure with her agility and aggressiveness, challenging the Virginia defense for possession in front of the Cav goal and firing four of the nine Tiger shots.
In the second half, however, the Cavaliers proved they would not submit without a fight.
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Lane scored 10 minutes after halftime, initiating Virginia's offensive drive; the Cavs would go on to fire six more close shots at the Tigers. The Cav defense intensified its game as well, holding the Tiger attack to only four shots in the second half.
"We played well and I thought we battled and showed a lot of character in the second half coming back," senior center midfielder Katie Tracy said. "I thought our defense did a great job - they won balls back there and they didn't let [the Clemson attackers] get behind them most of the time."
Yet Tracy could not shake the feeling that she had seen this kind of ending before. Virginia has swallowed several excruciatingly close losses in the last few years, including a heartbreaking 3-1 defeat in the first round of the ACC Tournament last year.
"I don't know how to explain this feeling of this happening over and over again," Tracy said. "It's disappointing and you can't really lie about that"
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