The clock wound down as the crowd cheered it along, "Five, four, three, two, one." Then the buzzer sounded, and it was over. With a final 2-0 win against N.C. State, the Virginia women's soccer team closed out the regular season and earned the second seed in the ACC Tournament.
"It was a different kind of emotion than I've ever felt going out on Klöckner [Stadium]," senior Sarah Huffman said. "Hard to say goodbye, but at the same time, hopefully we'll get to host and this won't be my very last game on Klöckner. It was a great night all around, getting the win, and hopefully we'll build on that for the postseason."
There were several other factors that made this particular victory even sweeter for the Cavaliers. All of the seniors' families were in the stands and joined their daughters on the field before the game to honor them for their four-year commitment to the team. Then there was the crowd, which was the largest one for a women's soccer game at Klöckner Stadium this season. And then there was the final goal, which was scored by senior midfielder Noelle Keselica on an assist from fellow senior midfielder Kelly Hammond.
"I've been playing with Noelle -- we were talking about it before the game -- for eleven years now," Hammond said. "We were ten years old. So it was pretty bittersweet that I assisted her goal."
While the last goal may have been special for them, the fans must have been anxious throughout the first half, as the Cavaliers took their time getting their first point. That goal, which came 10 minutes into the second half, was a shot from sophomore midfielder Jen Redmond that slipped in between the goalie's legs into the net. Although Virginia was dominating the first half -- it took N.C. State almost 10 minutes to even get the ball onto Virginia's half of the field -- the game remained scoreless until the second half in large part because Virginia failed to capitalize on its chances.
"That was disappointing," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "I thought we had some good chances in the first half to break the game open, and we didn't do it. That's a bit of a concern, [going into the ACC Tournament] because if you allow these teams to stay around for a bit, they might come back to bite you."
That risk, though, is far lower than it was at the beginning of the season when it seemed almost any time opponents got control of the ball, they were able to put it in the goal. Now, the mostly-freshman Cavalier defense has tightened up and gained valuable experience that has greatly contributed to Virginia's 11 shut-out games. Here again, the influence of the seniors is visible.
"I think in terms of bringing the freshman in and making them feel like part of the team, that's our responsibility," Keselica said. "Making sure that they know their roles and know that, even though they are first years, they play a big role on the team."
With just three days of rest between last Saturday's game and the beginning of the ACC Tournament Wednesday, the Cavaliers' focus has now turned to Cary, N.C., where the Tournament will be held. Regardless of the outcome of the postseason though, Saturday's victory against N.C. State demonstrated the successful season Virginia has had thus far.
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