No. 1 Virginia Shuts Out No. 16 Virginia Tech

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A pair of second-half goals from the team’s top goal scorers pushed the home team to victory on Thursday night (Sept. 26) as No. 1 Virginia (9-0-1, 1-0-1 ACC) grabbed a 2-0 victory over No. 16 Virginia Tech (9-1-0, 1-1-0 ACC) at Klöckner Stadium.

Senior Meghan McCool (Glenside, Pa.) hit the first goal in the 71st minute to break the stalemate before freshman Diana Ordonez (Prosper, Texas) extended the lead with the Cavaliers’ second goal in the 84th minute. 

It was the fourth win this season for Virginia in as many chances against a nationally-ranked opponent and moved the Cavaliers to a 20-4-1 lead in the all-time series with the Hokies. Laurel Ivory (8-0-1) picked up the victory with her fifth clean sheet of the season.

Virginia will return to action on Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. match against No. 10 Duke on the ACC Network.
 
“We’re very pleased with the win,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “We knew it would be a hard-fought game and very competitive. Virginia Tech was very organized and disciplined. We did some things in the second half to give ourselves better chances than we created in the first half. That was the difference in the game.”

Despite a 4-to-2 edge in shots at the half with three of them on frame, the match between the two rivals was scoreless.

Virginia got a flurry of chances in the 62nd minute with three straight corner kicks, but were unable to convert on any of the shots. The Cavaliers then broke through with the McCool goal.

Ashlynn Serepca (Cornelius, N.C.) intercepted a pass in the defensive third and played a through ball ahead toward the top of the box where Ordonez was waiting. The freshman made a nifty step over the ball as she turned, allowing it to continue through as the defense honed in on her. Ordonez went down in a collision with a defender and McCool collected the ball as it passed the freshman, sending her shot in to the left of the keeper for the 1-0 lead.

Virginia pushed the lead out to two goals with the Ordonez strike in the 84th minute. Virginia Tech misplayed an initial clearance on a Cavalier attack, setting up a sequence of volleys as Virginia sought to gain control and the Hokies sought to clear the threat. A Hokie defender slid in and knocked the ball toward her goal where Ordonez picked it up in the box. The freshman forward then took her shot from the corner of the six, slipping the ball in front of the Virginia Tech keeper and in past the back post for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Cavalier defense held things in check for the final six minutes to take the shutout victory over the Hokies. 

Thursday’s match was sponsored by Virginia529, the official college savings plan of University of Virginia Athletics.  With Virginia’s victory, the Hoos have earned a point in the Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529.  The score for the Clash is now University of Virginia – 1 and Virginia Tech -0.  Learn more about Virginia529 and this competition at TheCommmonwealthClash.com.