The Virginia women's soccer team notched their first ACC win last night at Klöckner Stadium, defeating Wake Forest 2-1. In the conference opener, Kristen Weiss, who sat out last season with a knee injury and scored her first goal since 2004, proved just how big a comeback she plans on making this season.
In the 26th minute of play, the Cavaliers went up 1-0 when Weiss scored off a give-and-go play between herself and Sarah Curtis.
"That pattern is something we practice all the time," Weiss said. "I kept saying that I couldn't believe that it actually worked. It felt really good, especially in such a big game."
While Curtis was credited with the assist, it was a Wake Forest player who ultimately deflected the ball into the net. It was the first goal the undefeated Demon Deacons had given up in their last 502 minutes of play and only the fourth scored on them all season.
Weiss's goal seemed to energize the Cavaliers, especially Weiss herself. With Virginia maintaining possession of the ball, Weiss made further attempts in the 30th and 31st minutes. After stripping midfielder Kristina Hanley of the ball in the latter, however, her shot went right into the goalie's hands.
"Kristen played great and gave us a real spark when she got in there," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "Overall I think we did a great job in the first half and for all practical purposes should have been up two or three [to] nothing."
Wake Forest did have its fair share of chances, though. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, more than one dangerous long ball resulted in an offsides call, and very shortly before the end of the half, Becky Sauerbrunn made a slide-tackle play that ended the Demon Deacon's fast break toward Christina de Vries in goal.
The Wake Forest team that took the field in the second half was determined to tie it up, and with the Demon Deacons applying nearly constant pressure to the Cavalier goal, it appeared almost inevitable that they would do just that. Indeed, De Vries made a spectacular save in the 67th minute, but couldn't prevent Wake Forest forward Sarah Winslow from scoring less than five minutes later as she snuck a rather slow moving ball into the net. Nikki Krzysik then prevented a second Wake Forest goal, clearing the ball from her own goal line.
It was Jess Rostedt's goal in the 72nd minute that loosened the knot that had formed in the stomachs of Virginia's fans. Taking on four Demon Deacons, Rostedt flew down the right-hand side of the field toward the goal and put the ball just under the cross bar and into the left hand-side of the net.
"Jen [Redmond] played a perfect ball out to me," Rostdet said. "And when I saw the goalie come off the line a little bit, I put it over her and into the corner."
Coming off the win, the Cavaliers will take on the Duke Blue Devils Sunday afternoon in their second ACC match-up. Virginia has lost its last two games against Duke, making the overall series record 10-10-2.
"The way the ACC plays out, it is always a dogfight," Swanson said. "This is the start of a grueling ACC marathon and tonight's game is how the season is going to be. We are expecting more of the same from Duke."
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.
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