Cavaliers Top Liberty 5-0 in Home Opener
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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The No. 14 Cavalier women’s soccer team began its 2009 home schedule in style, posting a 5-0 victory over Liberty in front of 1,060 fans at Klöckner Stadium. First-year Caroline Miller (Rockville, Md.) had a goal and three assists to lead the Cavaliers, who even their record at 1-1 on the season.
“I think we were anxious to get out and play again,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “We felt like we did enough things to get a result at Penn State last week, but didn’t and that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This was a good result for us. We were able to get a lot of players some minutes, but thing I was most proud of was that our level stayed at the same level no matter who we had on the field. That is an encouraging sign.”
The Cavaliers opened the scoring in the seventh minute of play. Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) played a cross to Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.), who tapped it in from the six-yard box for Virginia’s first goal of the season. The lead was doubled in the 35th minute. Julia Roberts (Frederick, Md.) sent a free kick to the far post, where Miller headed in her first career goal. In the 41st minute, the Cavaliers struck again. Katie Carr (Williamsburg, Va.) played a ball that Miller flicked into the run of Jess Rostedt (Kent, Ohio), who chipped the ball over the charging keeper to make the score 3-0. The Cavaliers would take that advantage into the break.
Virginia wasted little time in the second half to make the score 4-0, striking in the 47th minute. Lindsey Miller (Nashua, N.H.) sent a ball into the corner, where Caroline Miller gathered it and sent a cross to the far post where Alwine scored her first goal of the season. The Cavaliers capped off the scoring in the 64th minute as Amanda Stewart’s (West Chester, Pa.) shot off a Caroline Miller cross was deflected by Kate Norbo (Roanoke, Va.) and into the net.
“It was a positive sign for us that we created so many chances tonight,” said Swanson. “We got some goals, forced their keeper to make some difficult saves and hit a couple of posts. To be creating that many chances at this point in the season is a positive.”
Virginia outshot the Flames 33-3 in the contest and had a 15-0 corner kick advantage. Chantel Jones (Midlothian, Va.) made two saves to record her first shutout of the season and the 14th of her career. Karen Blocker made eight saves for Liberty.
VIRGINIA 5, LIBERTY 0
Liberty (0-1) 0 0 0
#14 Virginia (1-1) 3 2 5
Scoring Summary
UVa. Meghan Lenczyk 1 (Lauren Alwine 1) 7’
UVa. Caroline Miller 1 (Julia Roberts 1) 35’
UVa. Jess Rostedt 1 (Caroline Miller 1, Katie Carr 1) 41’
UVa. Lauren Alwine 1 (Caroline Miller 2, Lindsey Miller 1) 47’
UVa. Kate Norbo 1 (Amanda Stewart 1, Caroline Miller 3) 64’
Shots: UVa 33, LU 3
Corners: UVa 15, LU 0
Saves: UVa 2 (Jones 2), LU 9 (Blocker 8, Team 1)
Fouls: UVa 6, LU 4
Weather: 81 degrees, humid
Attendance: 1060
Game Notes: Amanda Fancher made her first career start … Kiley Naylor and Blair Weymouth made their collegiate debuts.