A victory in the ACC season opener is critical for the success of the Virginia women's soccer team. They are looking to build on early success and maintain their reputation as a competitive force in the ACC. The Cavaliers currently are 6-1-1 and are riding high on their four-game win streak. Their first ACC matchup comes this afternoon at 4 p.m. at NC State (5-2-1).
The women have experienced early success this season, and find themselves ranked No. 7 in the country. They won the Dartmouth tournament last weekend, with victories over Harvard and host Dartmouth. They also won the Virginia Soccer Classic two weeks ago. Sophomore Kelly Hammond and junior Lindsay Gusick lead the Cavaliers in goal scoring with four goals a piece. On the season, Virginia has outscored opponents 15 to 4.
Team members say that today's game is important to propel them toward success in the conference. Coach Steve Swanson said the game is very important for the momentum of the team.
"We're on a good run right now," Swanson said. "We're going to try and keep that going."
Virginia does not want a repeat of early conference play from last season. In 2002, the Cavaliers lost their first three ACC games and were then put in a difficult position to finish the season with a good record. This season there is a great emphasis on coming out strong and continuing early success.
"We need to start out our conference schedule strong," freshman midfielder Shannon Foley said. "This is a kind of make-or-break game because it will dictate how our ACC season will go."
The Cavaliers lead the career series 13-12-2 against NC State, dating back to 1984. The Wolfpack, ranked No. 4 in the ACC, has not beaten Virginia, ranked No. 2 in the conference, since 1995. The Wolfpack have not even scored on Virginia since 1999.
This past weekend, NC State beat Campbell, 4-0, and lost 1-0 to South Carolina.
Swanson stressed the fact that the past and team's records cannot be a forecaster of current games.
"You can't look at history at all," Swanson said. "In our conference, if you don't come to play, you're going to pay."
Despite early success, the Cavaliers are not fully satisfied with their play, and they hope to improve with every game. Players said that they have not played to their full potential but have still united to come out victorious in many instances. Virginia's recent game against Harvard serves as a prime example.
Harvard "took us out of our game, but we still managed to come away with the win, which I think says a lot about us," senior defender Missy Somadelis said.
The Cavaliers rely on a strong defense to set the tone for the game. The team is united in the belief that defense is critical and that a strong backline will produce and enable an effective offense. Swanson expressed his happiness with the team's efforts to "make defense a priority."
"They are making good decisions at the right time and show good leadership," Swanson said.
A strong showing in today's game is paramount to set the tone for the women's ACC season. Virginia puts its four-game winning streak on the line this afternoon in Raleigh.
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