Virginia women’s soccer had a disappointing home outing Sunday against Wake Forest. The No. 2 Cavaliers (8-1-0, 1-1-0 ACC) struggled to find momentum on both sides of the ball in a lopsided 3-0 defeat to the Demon Deacons (6-2-1, 1-1-0 ACC) that represented the first loss of the season for Virginia.
Wake Forest stormed out of the gates, applying effective pressure to the Cavaliers’ backline and disrupting build-up play. The Demon Deacons’ effort paid off in the 17th minute, when a mistimed Virginia header allowed senior forward Emily Murphy to start the break. Murphy took the ball outside, then squared it center for junior forward Caiya Hanks, who dispatched the chance coolly.
The Cavaliers almost got their revenge in the 32nd minute, when graduate midfielder Linda Mittermair’s shot forced a save from the Wake Forest goalkeeper. In the 35th minute, just when momentum seemed to be swinging in Virginia’s favor and Klöckner Stadium was getting loud, the Demon Deacons managed to extend their lead.
A free kick taken near the halfway line bounced off a Cavalier defender and fell kindly for sophomore forward Sierra Sythe, who smashed it into the roof of the net to double the visitors’ advantage. Virginia’s woes weren’t over yet though, as Hanks scored her second of the game just two minutes later from a long ball over the top. She outpaced the Cavalier defender and placed the ball into the side netting.
The first half concluded with Virginia only managing two shots, compared to 10 by Wake Forest. Although the Cavaliers had some good combination play, the link between the midfield and final third was missing. Graduate midfielder Alexis Theoret remarked that this missing connection was a problem for Virginia’s attacking mojo.
“I think it was just that last linking pass that we didn't complete, and then the ball was bouncing in the air, and that was our downfall,” Theoret said. “We couldn't get it on the ground.”
The scoreless second half may have looked better on paper for the Cavaliers — they managed more shots and corners than the first period — but it was still well below their normal par. Virginia did not have a convincing look at goal throughout the whole contest, and the defense looked lethargic against the Demon Deacons’ high pressure. Coach Steve Swanson emphasized that it was a struggle for the Cavaliers across all fronts.
“It was a tough result, obviously,” Swanson said. “The first half was the difference in the game. We didn’t play very well in the first half, we conceded some goals we haven’t normally given up this year and that was disappointing. We gave the ball away too easily at times and didn’t get enough chances throughout the whole game.”
Considering how good Virginia had looked in the opening eight games of the season, it would be an overreaction to panic after one poor performance. The Cavaliers’ defensive struggles Sunday were noteworthy and should not be pushed to the side, but the team was bound to misstep at some point along the way in a crowded ACC — that misstep just happened to come a little earlier than expected.
Virginia will hope to steer the ship back in the right direction in its third ACC matchup Saturday, when they face Notre Dame. Kickoff at Klöckner Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACCNX.
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