#1 Cavaliers Defeat #13 Ohio State 3-1

Story Links

September 5, 1998

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Virginia senior All-American Meridith Thorpe (St.Louis, Mo./John Burroughs) made her homecoming a triumph this afternoon as she scored the game-winning goal as top-ranked Virginia defeated #13 Ohio State in the final game of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge in St. Louis, Mo. Thorpe’s goal, 10 minutes and 39 seconds into the second half, gave Virginia a 2-0 lead and also tied her with former Cavalier great Cindy Carzo with 84 career goals.

Virginia started the scoring early as Thorpe connected from fellow senior All-American Michelle Vizzuso (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) just 12:10 into the contest. The Virginia defense, which led the nation in scoring defense in 1997, allowed only one shot for Ohio State in the first half. Virginia was unable to capitalize the rest of the half and the first half ended with Virginia holding a 1-0 lead.

Thorpe’s record-tying goal was also assisted by Vizzuso and gave the Cavaliers the 2-0 lead. Vizzuso scored Virginia’s final goal with 11:53 remaining in the game as she blasted a shot from just inside the circle. Her two assists on the day gives her 37 for her career and place her second all- time at Virginia, just one shy of the record. Ohio State got on the board as Diana Kusar lifted the rebound of a penalty corner into the net with 6:18 to go in the game. Kusar’s goal was Ohio State’s second shot of the half.

With the season-opening win, the top-ranked Cavaliers move to 1-0 on the season and will face Big 10 foe Northwestern in the final day of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. Northwestern defeated Wake Forest 2-1 in competition earlier today. The Cavaliers and the Wildcats will tangle on Monday, September 7 at 12:00 noon CST. Virginia will return home to face the seventh-ranked Northeastern Huskies at 7:00 pm on September 10.

FINAL             1  2   F#13 Ohio State    0  1   1 (0-1)#1 Virginia       1  2   3 (1-0)

Goals: V: Thorpe 2, M. Vizzuso 1; OSU: Kusar 1 Assists: V: M. Vizzuso 2Shots: V: 18, OSU: 3Corners: V: 11, OSU: 5Saves: 2, (Wiese 2); OSU: 8 (Schwartz 8)