Virginia women’s soccer began its ACC campaign Thursday night against Miami, putting a seven-game winning streak on the line in Coral Gables, Fla. The Cavaliers (8-0-0, 1-0-0 ACC) went undefeated in non-conference play and made sure their flawless record remained as such, as they overcame first-half adversity to defeat the Hurricanes (3-3-1, 0-1-0 ACC) 3-1.
Though Miami entered having won its last three games, Virginia made it clear from the outset that it would present a bigger challenge than the hosts had faced all year. Right out of the gates, graduate midfielder Alexis Theoret kept up Virginia’s hot offense, delivering a perfectly placed set piece from the left wing in the ninth minute. The line-drive ball grazed off of sophomore forward Allie Ross and snuck right inside the far post around Miami freshman goalkeeper Gray Willson.
Despite playing from behind early, the Hurricanes were able to apply pressure on the Virginia net, which is something the Cavaliers did not have to deal with in the non-conference games leading up to Thursday’s match. Hurricanes senior defender Adrianna Serna attempted a shot on goal in the 15th minute, marking the first shot on goal let up by Virginia in five games. The shot was knocked away by sophomore goalkeeper Victoria Safradin, setting up a series of back-to-back Miami corner kicks, which were defended well by the Cavalier defense.
The Hurricanes nearly found themselves in a deep hole when a foul on sophomore midfielder Crosby Nicholson set up a penalty kick for Virginia’s leading scorer, junior forward Maggie Cagle. But a diving save at the right post by Willson kept the attempt out from Cagle, who had not been denied on a penalty kick this season.
Nicholson found herself making a positive play on the opposite end of the field when her header off of graduate forward Tori Grambo’s corner landed in the back of the net, evening the score at 1-1. The 5-foot-11 Nicholson elevated over the Virginia defense, and Grambo’s ball was put where only her teammate could get a piece of it.
The 42nd-minute equalizer sent Miami into the halftime break with momentum, capping off a first period that saw the Hurricanes pressure the Cavaliers in ways that they hadn’t been since their come-from-behind victory over then-No. 3 Penn State in late August.
The second half saw more of the same back-and-forth action between Virginia and Miami. The Cavaliers began chipping away at a tired Hurricane defense, though, racking up shots at a similar rate to their non-conference games.
Virginia’s efforts would pay off when freshman forward Sophia Bradley outraced the Miami defense in transition. Bradley’s ball was blocked but collected by Ross, who fired a shot into the back of the net to give the Cavaliers the lead again in the 77th minute. Ross’ two-goal game bumped her total up to four on the season.
Two minutes later, Virginia found themselves with an opportunity to stretch its lead as a result of a foul on Miami freshman midfielder Ciara Alarcon. Theoret took the set piece for the Cavaliers again, and though it came from 40 yards out from the opposite wing, the result was the same. Junior defender Tatum Galvin controlled the beautifully placed ball from Theoret and knocked a shot past the defenseless Willson, extending the Virginia lead to 3-1. The 78th-minute insurance score was the Miami native’s first career goal.
The score held for the remaining 12 minutes, awarding the Cavaliers their first ACC victory of the 2024 campaign. A 3-1 final score may indicate Virginia dominance, but in reality, the Cavaliers were given one of their toughest tests of the season. They responded well to the big momentum swing that came from the saved Cagle penalty kick and the ensuing Nicholson goal, which was a moment that could have proved decisive in a conference game on the road.
Virginia is back in action at home Sunday against Wake Forest. The game kicks off at noon and will be broadcast on ACCN.
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