Virginia women’s soccer finally ended a four-game losing streak in an impressive performance Thursday at Klöckner Stadium. The No. 25 Cavaliers (9-4-0, 2-4-0 ACC) dominated North Carolina State (3-8-2, 0-4-1 ACC) from start to finish in a 3-0 win. The matchup was also Virginia’s senior night, honoring the longest-tenured Cavaliers on the team.
The win on senior night was one of great importance for this Virginia team. The contest was a must-win for a Cavalier squad fighting an uphill battle to be one of the six teams in the ACC Tournament. Virginia knows the importance of games like these, but seniors like defender Samar Guidry agreed that these matches are of an elevated significance.
“I think about every game being closer to some of my last,” Guidry said. “I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do afterwards, so I was trying to take it day by day and just … really enjoy the people I'm around as much as I can.”
Guidry, along with senior defender Moira Kelley, have been major contributors on a Virginia team that has managed seven shutouts in 13 games. Graduate midfielder Chloe Japic, who has also played a big role in the Cavaliers’ success this season, knew that the win Thursday was huge for the team’s momentum going forward.
“We can still play, and beat any ACC team so this is going to be really good for us to build momentum moving forward and hopefully keep getting wins,” Japic said. “Regardless of whether we’re on the road or right here at home.”
For the home crowd, Virginia started the contest off in fiery fashion. They scored inside one minute after kickoff when senior defender Laney Rouse controlled an overhit cross, tapping it back into the middle of the penalty box, where junior forward Meredith McDermott made no mistake in her finish past the goalkeeper. The Cavaliers had scored off the opening kickoff without losing possession in a dazzling display of energy.
Later, but still early in the half, Virginia almost added to their lead when junior forward Maggie Cagle had an impressive run down the left side that culminated with a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. But the tough angle became prohibitive and Cagle’s shot rang off the near-side post.
The Cavaliers kept up the energy for the remainder of the half, notching an overwhelming 17 shots. On the other hand, NC State recorded none. Virginia also kept the lion’s share of the possession and its combination play routinely left the Wolfpack scrambling. Going into halftime, there was not much Coach Steve Swanson could be angry about.
Virginia finally extended their lead in the 72nd minute when McDermott — who made an inventive run down the left side — centered the ball for sophomore forward Allie Ross, who booted it into the top left corner of the goal. The Cavaliers now had a two-goal cushion that allowed them to collect themselves and focus on seeing the game out.
Mere minutes later, the Cavaliers would once again find the back of the net. Graduate midfielder Laughlin Ryan sent a beautifully weighted pass through the NC State backline that found Cagle, who sent the ball into the box. Junior forward Maya Carter got herself on the end of the pass and dispatched it cleanly past the goalkeeper. The Cavaliers had found their mojo on offense, and the Wolfpack could not contain their inventive play.
NC State almost had a rebuttal of its own in the 89th minute, but a dangerous long shot was denied by senior goalkeeper Camryn Miller to keep the clean sheet. Miller was subbed in late into the contest to get some playing time on senior night, and she definitely made her presence known with a stunning save. Ultimately, Swanson’s bunch walked away with a refreshing 3-0 triumph.
The offensive turnaround for Virginia was notable. Having only scored one goal in its previous four contests, seeing three go in against the Wolfpack was a testament to a revamped attitude. Swanson agreed that this matchup sent his Cavaliers in the right direction.
“I think we did a better job of keeping possession and just making simpler decisions that would allow us to advance the ball forward,” Swanson said. “I thought in the previous games, you know, part of it was the teams we were playing against were putting pressure on [us], and I thought we gave the ball away too easily.”
Fresh off a comfortable win, Virginia will look to stick to its winning ways Sunday when they host Southern Methodist. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the match will be broadcast live on ACCNX.
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