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Sept. 12, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The No. 5 ranked Virginia women’s soccer team captured its second consecutive Virginia Nike Soccer Classic title, downing South Carolina 5-2 in the final game of the tournament Sunday. The win improves the Cavaliers to 6-0 on the season.
South Carolina (4-3) struck first in the 21st minute as Ashley Williams lofted a long shot from a severe angle into the net. It marked the first time all season the Cavaliers had trailed. Virginia answered back in the 36th minute as Shannon Foley (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) was taken down during her run in the box and Gillian Hatch (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) tied the game by converting the penalty kick. The game remained 1-1 at halftime.
In the second half, the Cavaliers took the lead in the 54th minute as Katie Bunch (St. Louis, Mo.) found Foley making a run into the box and Foley scored from 15 yards out. A minute and a half later, the Cavaliers struck again as Kelly Hammond (Bowie, Md.) one-timed a shot from 10 yards out to give UVa a 3-1 lead. The Gamecocks answered right back in the 58th minute as Williams scored her second of the contest on a breakaway set up by Jessi Swaim. Lindsay Gusick (Livonia, Mich.) gave the Cavaliers a two-goal advantage again in the 63rd minute when Foley found her with a through ball in the box and she scored from 10 yards out. Sarah Huffman (Flower Mound, Texas) closed out the scoring in the final minute as Hatch’s 50 yard clearance found her in stride for a breakaway score.
That final goal clinched the tournament title for Virginia. The Cavaliers and Maryland each won both their games in the tournament, but UVa had a +5 goal differential to the Terrapins’ +4.
Overall, Virginia outshot South Carolina 13-4 in the contest. Christina de Vries (Westlake Village, Calif.) had made two saves for Virginia, as did Lindsay Thorstenson for South Carolina.
Huffman was named MVP of the tournament, with Gusick and Noelle Keselica Gaithersburg, Md.) also named to the All-Tournament team for Virginia.
“I thought we showed a lot of composure to rally after they scored first,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “Give South Carolina a lot of credit. They were organized and fought hard. They made us have to move the ball quickly in order to get our scoring chances.”
In the first game of the day, Maryland upset No. 8 UCLA 2-1. The Cavaliers return to action on Friday as they travel to Williamsburg for the W&M Nike Tribe Invitational. The Cavaliers open the tournament with George Mason at 4:00 p.m.
No. 5 Virginia 5, South Carolina 2
| Scoring | 1 | 2 | F |
| South Carolina (4-3, 0-0) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Virginia (6-0, 1-0) | 1 | 4 | 5 |
1. SC. Williams (unassisted) 20:41
2. UVa Hatch (PK) 35:21
3. UVa Foley (Bunch) 53:19
4. UVa Hammond (Gusick, Foley) 54:55
5. SC. Williams (Swaim) 57:50
6. UVa Gusick (Foley, Keselica) 62:53
7. UVa Huffman (Hatch) 89:18
Shots: UVa 13, SC 4
Corners: UVa 5, SC 3
Saves: UVa 2, SC 2
Fouls: UVa 13, SC 16
Attendance: 736
2004 Virginia Nike Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team
MVP – Sarah Huffman (Virginia)
Lindsay Gusick (Virginia)
Noelle Keselica (Virginia)
Kimmy Francis (Maryland)
Mallory Mahar (Maryland)
Nikki Resnick (Maryland)
Kendal Billingsley (UCLA)
Cailtin Ursini (UCLA)
Jill Oakes (UCLA)
Jessi Swain (South Carolina)
Jackie Welch (South Carolina)
Ashley Williams (South Carolina)