With a pair of important victories over two in-state rivals under their belts, the No. 16 Virginia women's soccer team (4-2-1) returns home after a successful weekend of stiff competition at the William & Mary Nike Tribe Invitational. The 2-0 showing extends the Cavaliers' winning streak to three, carried over from the Sept. 15 match against Dartmouth.
Virginia's play this weekend suggests fine-tuning and improvements were implemented since a disappointing 1-1 showing in last weekend's Virginia Soccer Classic tournament. In that tournament, a West Virginia squad surprised the Cavaliers, upsetting the hosts, 2-1.
This weekend, however, Virginia lived up to its national ranking amid a field of hungry, impassioned state schools. In Friday's 2-0 triumph, Virginia stomped George Mason (2-5), outshooting the Patriots 20-1. Yesterday, in a fiercely physical match against the hosting Tribe (4-2-1), the Cavaliers notched the 2-1 win in double overtime.
"Anytime we can get wins against two in-state opponents, especially a team like William & Mary, it's an important accomplishment," Virginia coach Steven Swanson said Sunday.
Sunday's meeting with the Tribe lived up to predictions for a highly competitive and aggressive battle. The tranquil setting of Barksdale Field -- a frisbee match played behind the field, a mostly good-natured crowd of students, family and community members enjoying the competition -- and the calm, pleasant weather belied a struggle marked by 25 fouls and injuries on both squads.
"Virginia versus William & Mary is definitely the biggest in-state rivalry," senior forward Darci Borski said. "It's always a physically hard game."
The game's first half proved barren, play relegated largely to the midfield. Frustration was evident. But in the game's 68th minute, freshman midfielder Kelly Hammond chased down a Virginia corner kick and sent a searing ball back into the box. Freshman midfielder Kara Frederick connected on the pass for her first collegiate goal.
"Kara Frederick gave us a lift on the bench today," Swanson said. "We're getting those kinds of great contributions from several players who don't start."
The Cavaliers' celebration, however, was short-lived. Just 50 seconds later, William & Mary's Taline Tomassian capitalized on a throw-in sequence to send a ball past the reach of Virginia junior goalie Anne Abernathy who finished the game with three saves.
For the rest of the half, though neither team could put the game away, a shift in momentum appeared to favor Virginia, who dominated possession and exhibited some solid offensive series. The Cavaliers continued to control the game's pace in the first overtime period, outshooting the Tribe 4-1.
In the match's final period, Virginia largely kept the ball in its offensive third of the field. Still, as the seconds ticked away, a tie seemed possible. With 1:21 left, freshman forward Noelle Keselica ran down a breakaway ball to score the decisive game-winner and the jubilant Cavalier contingent congregated for a group celebration.
"I think we've just made a huge turnaround," Borski said. "We've gotten wins in some tight games."
On Friday, in the weekend's initial contest, despite dominating ball possession and ripping a remarkable 20 shots at goal, the game remained scoreless until the 78th minute of play. In the pivotal moment, freshman Julie Napolitano connected off a rebound to score her first collegiate goal. Borski added the security goal eight minutes later from junior Sarah Lane's assist.
"The positive side compared to last weekend is that we're getting ourselves in the position to have more offensive chances," Swanson noted. "We still need to work on our finishing.
The Cavaliers next face Temple at Kl
ckner Stadium on Wednesday evening. The contest will be their last before their ACC conference schedule commences Saturday with a home game against Clemson. This weekend's accomplishments against George Mason and William & Mary should equip Swanson and his squad with added confidence to apply toward the upcoming competitions.
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