In its first ever in-conference matchup with Southern Methodist, Virginia women’s soccer got a much needed three points Sunday by scoring two goals and earning an ACC win at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers (10-4-0, 3-4-0 ACC) went down early but found their offensive identity in the second half to take down the Mustangs (6-7-2, 2-4-2 ACC) by a slim 2-1 margin.
“Overall, we really needed the three points, especially since this game was at home,” Coach Steve Swanson said. “Our crowd really made a difference for us.”
The matchup was a back-and-forth affair straight from kickoff, as both sides viewed the game as a must-win on the road to qualifying for ACC postseason play. Only the top six teams in the conference are granted the opportunity to play in the ACC tournament in November.
Southern Methodist had the first big chance in the seventh minute when a dangerous cross from the right side was not cleared properly by the Virginia defenders, creating a scramble for the ball right in front of goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Victoria Safradin was able to get a punch on the ball to aid the clearance, but it was a dangerous opportunity for the Mustang attackers.
A few minutes later, Southern Methodist was able to break the deadlock when sophomore forward Nyah Rose got her head on the end of a lofted cross courtesy of senior defender Sophie King. Safradin fumbled the save, and the ball ended up in the back of the net. Although the Cavaliers had most of the possession in the first half, one mistake on the defensive end had them down 1-0 at the break.
Swanson’s halftime talk must have been fiery, because Virginia equalized quickly after the whistle blew to begin the second half of play. Junior forward Maggie Cagle got her defender to fall with some impressive footwork, then laid the ball back for senior midfielder Lia Godfrey, who slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
The equalizing goal was one of relief for the Cavaliers, who had been in good attacking positions all contest but had just missed that final pass to create clear-cut opportunities. Now, with the game all tied up, neither side was content with splitting the points, and the game became an even more end-to-end affair.
The Mustangs almost retook the lead in the 55th minute when junior forward Eliana Salama’s shot rang off the post. The matchup now seemed to be anybody’s game as the second half progressed.
Yet with less than 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Cagle was once again causing trouble for the Southern Methodist defense. Her low driven cross found the path of junior forward Meredith McDermott, who poked the ball past the Mustang goalkeeper. The electric aura of Klöckner Stadium was palpable as cheers erupted following the goal. Leading 2-1, Virginia took full command.
The contest was not over yet, though. Just minutes later, Southern Methodist’s sophomore forward Emma Alvord took a close range shot that looked destined for the top right corner, but Safradin denied the would-be goal with a heroic save — making amends for her earlier mistake.
The importance of the 2-1 victory cannot be overstated for a Virginia team that dropped four conference games in a row earlier in the season. Now with nine points in seven ACC games, the Cavaliers have the opportunity to get business done in the rest of the regular season and make the conference tournament.
Despite the early setback, Virginia looked like the dominant force for most of the game. The wing play was exceptional, and the Cavalier attackers looked fearless in one-on-one situations. On the defensive side, senior defender Moira Kelley was a stalwart, consistently disrupting play and clearing long balls up the field.
“We definitely needed the two wins from this past week,” Godfrey said. “Obviously we had four losses in a row, so two wins coming off of that was huge for us and we’re ready to carry that momentum to Florida State.”
Virginia will look to add to their well-timed momentum when they travel to Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday to face No. 22 Florida State in what should be a tough contest. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
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