No. 4 seed Virginia women’s soccer faced No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Irvine, Calif. Neither team scored in regulation or either of the two overtime periods, and after four rounds of penalty kicks, the Cavaliers (13-5-0, 5-5-0) were eliminated by the Badgers (10-5-5, 5-3-3 Big Ten) 0-0 (4-2).
Neither Virginia nor Wisconsin were able to generate scoring chances early, as the first half was a defensive battle with just six shots between the two sides — four for the Badgers and two for the Cavaliers. Only Wisconsin was able to muster a shot on goal.
Action began to pick up in the second half, as Virginia dominated possession, applying steady pressure on the Wisconsin net through five corners and a plethora of balls into the box.
As Virginia controlled the ball in their attacking third for much of the second half, the Badgers had to rely on a counterattack in transition to provide an offensive spark, which the Cavaliers handled well. Notably, senior defender Laney Rouse played a vital role in chasing down multiple Wisconsin passes.
Virginia squandered its best chance of the period in the 80th minute, when senior defender Kiki Maki popped a looping ball over the heads of the Wisconsin back line just in front of the goal. Both freshman forward Sophia Bradley and junior forward Maggie Cagle were in a position to score. With Wisconsin junior goalkeeper Drew Stover out of position, Cagle or Bradley likely just needed to track the ball to create a late go-ahead goal for the Cavaliers, but neither were able to get a foot on the ball.
The match was sent into overtime, and the first extra period followed a similar back-and-forth flow with few quality chances for either side.
However, the urgency seemed to pick up in the second 10-minute period, as Wisconsin graduate midfielder Aryssa Mahrt sped down the middle of the field in the 104th minute, appearing to have a clean look at the Cavalier goal. A timely slide tackle from graduate defender Moira Kelley put an end to the run, though, continuing Virginia’s trend of stiff defense inside the box.
Soon after, in the 107th minute, Cagle weaved her way along the end line inside the box, breaking the ankles of one defender and getting tripped up by the next. Cagle went crashing to the turf, and the whistle blew for the officials to take a further look at the play through video review, but the referee ruled that the defender made contact with the ball first on the tackle, rendering the play clean.
As the clock wound down, Virginia got one more chance in the 109th minute. Junior forward Meredith McDermott corralled a long ball just in front of the left corner of the net, where she managed to evade a couple of defenders but was unable to make clean contact with the ball, sending a weak dribbler into the hands of Stover from just 10 yards out.
After the conclusion of the two overtime periods, the two teams faced off in a penalty shootout. Wisconsin freshman midfielder Hailey Baumann went first for the Badgers and shot into the bottom left corner.
Cagle was up first for Virginia, and heartbreakingly, she blasted her shot down the middle and right at Stover. The keeper remained disciplined and did not dive to a side, putting her in position for the save.
Wisconsin never gave the lead back after that, going 4-4 on spot kicks and putting the Cavaliers on the brink of elimination in the fourth round as graduate forward Linda Mittermair stepped up with Virginia down 4-2. Mittermair sent her shot wide left, letting Stover off the hook and putting a brutal end to the Cavaliers’ season.
While it fell short of the ultimate goal of a national championship, Virginia still exceeded expectations in 2024. The Cavaliers were unranked in the preseason and earned a No. 4 seed in the national tournament, just one year removed from failing to qualify altogether.
Next year, Virginia will bring back Cagle, McCormack and sophomore forward Allie Ross, key contributors to the Cavaliers’ offensive attack. The back line will take a big hit, with experienced players in Rouse, Kelley, Maki and senior defender Samar Guidry all graduating.
Midfielder Lia Godfrey, the heart and soul in the middle of the field and a three-time All-American, is a senior as well. Virginia will look for players such as Bradley and sophomore midfielder Ella Carter to make big leaps to fill Godfrey’s large shoes next year.
Moving into 2025, there will certainly be a lot to learn from Friday’s loss — and the season as a whole — for the returning players and Coach Steve Swanson. The team will look to regroup and continue to build on a season that was an improvement from the last one.
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