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CLEMSON, S.C. The No. 11 Virginia women’s soccer team matched the best ACC start in school history at 4-0-0 with a 7-1 victory over Clemson Sunday at Historic Riggs Field. Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) scored a hat trick in the first half to the lead the Cavaliers, who improved to 10-1-1 overall.
“Obviously we did an exceptional job of finishing today,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “I thought we started the game strong and to get a couple of goals early gave us a nice cushion. This was a lot closer game than 7-1. Clemson fought hard and was extremely organized. The difference was we were able to take advantage of our early chances.”
The Cavaliers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the sixth minute of play as Farrelly gathered a ball in the midfield, dribbled through the defense to the top of the 18 and fired a shot inside the far post for her first goal of the season. That advantage was doubled in the 11th minute as a failed clearance attempt by Clemson deep in their end wound up on the foot of Maggie Kistner (St. Louis, Mo.), who scored from 6-yards out to make the score 2-0. In the 23rd minute, Farrelly intercepted a pass at the top of the box and curled a shot inside the far post for her second goal of the game. Farrelly scored her third goal of the afternoon in the 41st minute as she gathered a loose ball in the attacking end and dribbled into the box before firing a shot into the far corner.
The hat trick was the first of Farrelly’s career and the first ever by a Cavalier against an ACC opponent. She becomes the second Cavalier to notch one this season, as Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.) had three goals against Liberty.
“Sinead is a special player and she did some special things inside the 18 today,” said Swanson. “Her play in the first half was exceptional.”
Virginia added to its lead in the second half in the 56th minute. Sarah Senty’s (Arlington, Va.) cross to the far post was headed in by Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) for her third goal of the season. In the 62nd minute, Kistner found Lenczyk in space where she fired in her team-leading 10th goal of the season. Lindsey Miller (Nashua, N.H.) headed in a corner kick from Amanda Stewart (West Chester, Pa.) in the 76th minute to make the score 7-0. The Tigers closed out the scoring in the 89th minute as Molly Johnson scored on a header off a free kick by K.K. Duffy, marking the first goal allowed by the Cavaliers this year in ACC play.
Overall the Cavaliers outshot the Tigers 13-9 and had an 8-2 corner kick advantage. Celeste Miles made two saves for Virginia, while Paula Pritzen made five for Clemson.
The Cavaliers’ 4-0-0 start to the ACC season matches the school record set during the 2005 season. That year Virginia finished with an 8-2 record in the conference. The seven goals scored by the Cavaliers were the most in a game since a 9-0 victory over Richmond in 2005.
The Cavaliers will continue its three game road trip on Thursday as they visit intrastate rival Virginia Tech. Game time in Blacksburg is slated for 7 p.m.
VIRGINIA 7, CLEMSON 1
#11 Virginia (10-1-1, 4-0-0) 4 3 – 7
Clemson (4-5-1, 0-2-1) 0 1 – 1
Scoring:
UVa Sinead Farrelly 1 (unassisted) 6’
UVa Maggie Kistner 2 (unassisted) 11’
UVa Sinead Farrelly 2 (unassisted) 23’
UVa Sinead Farrelly 3 (unassisted) 41’
UVa Lauren Alwine 3 (Sarah Senty 4, Caitlin Miskel 2) 56’
UVa Meghan Lenczyk 10 (Maggie Kistner1) 62’
UVa Lindsey Miller 2 (Amanda Stewart 3) 76’
CU Molly Johnson 2 (K.K. Duffy 2) 89’
Cautions:
Clemson: Vogel (YC-58’)
Shots: UVa 13, CU 9
Corners: UVa 8, CU 2
Saves: UVa 2 (Miles 2), CU 5 (Pritzen 4, Team 1)
Fouls: UVa 13, CU 9
Weather: 81 degrees, clear
Attendance: 387