After falling to North Carolina Sunday in the ACC Championship, No. 1 seed Virginia hosts Radford Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers (16-1-3, 6-0-3 ACC) have a 34-12-4 record overall in NCAA Tournament games at Klöckner Stadium and will face the Highlanders (16-5-0, 7-3 Big South) in their 26th consecutive tournament appearance.
Virginia remained unbeaten through regular season play but was defeated 2-1 in double overtime against the Tar Heels in the championship game of the ACC Tournament. A second-half goal by freshman forward Diana Ordoñez served as the equalizer and extended the game into extra minutes, but the Tar Heels secured the ACC title when junior forward Alessia Russo scored the golden-goal in the second period of overtime.
Radford enters the match fresh off a second consecutive Big South Tournament title after posting a 2-1 victory over Gardner-Webb in the championship game. With the win, the Highlanders secured an automatic bid to the tournament from the Big South. It will be the team’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Last season, Radford fell to West Virginia 6-0 in the first round.
Key Players
Virginia had seven players named All-ACC selections this season. Senior forward Meghan McCool was named a first-team selection, while senior defender Phoebe McClernon, senior defender Courtney Petersen, sophomore midfielder Alexa Spaanstra, junior midfielder Taryn Torres and Ordoñez were all named second-team selections. Junior goalkeeper Laurel Ivory also received honors, named a third-team selection after leading the Cavaliers to 12 shutouts on the season.
Senior forward Meghan McCool and freshman forward Diana Ordoñez
McCool and Ordoñez have been the team’s top scorers this season with 14 goals apiece. The two forwards have combined to create a lethal attacking front on Virginia’s offense. McCool has posted six game-winners while the freshman Ordoñez has scored four. In the ACC Quarterfinal against No. 9 Duke, McCool scored the only goal of the match to lead the team to victory. Ordoñez also posted the only goal of the championship game against North Carolina to extend the game into overtime. Both the senior and the freshman will be crucial in creating goal-scoring opportunities in the final third of the pitch.
Senior defender Zoe Morse
Senior defender Zoe Morse has been the key to Virginia’s backline, shutting down offensive drives and limiting opponents throughout the season. The veteran defender plays with a combined intensity and patience as she finds a way to break down attacking players and keep the ball out of dangerous territory. Morse displayed her talent on both ends of the pitch when she scored her first goal on the season and fourth career-goal in the ACC Semifinal against No. 5 Florida State.
Keys to the game
Protect the keeper
Virginia will have to cope with the loss of Ivory after she collided with a North Carolina defender in the ACC Championship Sunday. Sophomore goalkeeper Michaela Moran, while talented between the posts, will be thrown into the NCAA Tournament with far less experience than the veteran Ivory. Moran has seen just over 120 minutes of action in 2019, conceding two goals to opponents. The sophomore keeper has been capable of making necessary saves, allowing just one goal in five appearances last season, but it will be important for the Cavaliers to keep the ball out of her zone as much as possible. With the strong backline of McClernon and Morse in addition to freshman defender Talia Staude, the Cavaliers should be able to keep the ball away from Moran against the Highlanders, but the sophomore will certainly be challenged through tournament play should Virginia advance.
Limit turnovers
Through much of the regular season, the Cavaliers have been able to control possession and set the pace. During the ACC Tournament, however, turnovers proved costly against difficult opponents, and in various instances Virginia allowed teams to steal back possession on poor passing and a lack of ball control. Should the team find its rhythm early in the match, Radford will have trouble generating momentum on the offensive front and turning the ball over.
While Virginia is still ranked No. 1 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25, the unranked Highlanders are coming off a championship victory and are undoubtedly a talented team. Radford has edged opponents 37-17 in scoring and posted 10 shutouts. Regardless, the Cavaliers have toppled numerous ranked opponents this season, and the Highlanders should be no different. Virginia is accustomed to high-level, competitive soccer and certainly has the talent to advance through the first few rounds of tournament play.
Game time for Saturday’s matchup at Klöckner Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The winner of the match will play the winner of Memphis and Washington State.
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