No. 1 Virginia Posts Sixth-Straight Shutout With 3-0 Win Over Notre Dame

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The shutout streak continued for the Cavaliers on Sunday (Oct. 20) as No. 1 Virginia (12-0-3, 4-0-3 ACC) posted a 3-0 victory over Notre Dame (9-5-1, 3-3-1 ACC) on Senior Day at Klöckner Stadium.

Virginia got a game-winner from senior Meghan McCool (Glenside, Pa.) for the second consecutive match, while freshman Diana Ordonez (Prosper, Texas) and sophomore Rebecca Jarrett (Washington Township, N.J.) each added a goal for the final margin of victory. Ordonez now has a team-leading 13 goals for the season, while McCool has 10 goals. Both have hit four game winners this season.

It was the sixth consecutive shutout in ACC play for the Cavaliers as goalkeeper Laurel Ivory (Surfside, Fla.) now has 10 clean sheets on the season. She has played 593 consecutive minutes of shutout soccer and it has been 617 minutes since Virginia last allowed a goal. That only goal allowed so far in ACC play came on a penalty kick at Wake Forest in the ACC opener for both teams.

“It was a great ACC win in honor of our seniors today,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “Notre Dame is a good team. They pressed us early and caused some problems for us, but I thought it was our pressing that led to some good goals for us and was ultimately the difference in the game.”

With both teams adjusting to a rainy afternoon, the defense held the advantage for both sides through the early stages of the match. Virginia had a 3-to-1 advantage in shots as the half waned, but couldn’t find the back of the net with a pair of headers that sailed wide and a third shot blocked. 

The fourth time was the charm as McCool scored her goal in the 39th minute to give the home team some breathing room. Senior defender Courtney Petersen (Canton, Mich.) intercepted a long aerial pass down the left side of the field to start a counter for the Cavaliers. The defender raced down the touch line before cutting in toward the box and serving the ball to McCool making a run. McCool picked up the pass, stepped around a defender and poked the ball past the Notre Dame keeper as she came off her line. The ball slipped across the face of the goal and in past the far post for the 1-0 lead.

The second half saw Virginia continue to attack before finding the net again in the 54th minute – this time off the foot of Ordonez. As the freshman approached the top of the box, she played a ball out wide to the right for Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich.). The sophomore midfielder chipped a one-touch pass over the defense to McCool near the back post. McCool then headed the ball back toward the top of the six-yard box where it bounced once before Ordonez volleyed it to the left of the keeper for the 2-0 lead.

Virginia capped the scoring in the 69th minute with the Jarrett goal. The sophomore forward dribbled into the box at two defenders with the ball at her right foot. She cut the ball to her left and fired a left-footed shot that was stopped, but not controlled, by the keeper. Jarrett continued her run, following her shot into the six where she collected the rebound and knocked it in past the back post.

The Cavaliers would go on to lock up the shutout after holding the Irish without a shot after the 14th minute of play. 

Virginia will continue to play at home next week, hosting No. 14 Louisville at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 24). It is the first of two home games on the week that closes out the home portion of the regular-season schedule.