Hoos Set For Top 10 Matchup With No. 9 Penn State

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 8 Virginia women’s soccer team (4-0-1) is set for another nationally-ranked matchup at Klöckner Stadium as the Hoos host No. 9 Penn State (3-1-1) in a 6 p.m. contest on Thursday night (Sept. 4). Kick is set for 6 p.m.

Admission to all Virginia soccer home matches is free this season.

ORANGE OUT KLÖCKNER
The game with the Nittany Lions will be an Orange Out game and fans are encouraged to wear their orange as they come cheer on the Hoos.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
Thursday night’s contest will be broadcast on ACC Network and also available for stream through the ESPN app and at ESPN.com. Links to live stats and the stream are available at VirginiaSports.com. Fans can also get updates by following the program’s official account on X (@UVAWomenSoccer).

NOTING THE HOOS

• Virginia moved up in both polls this week, coming in at No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and moved up to No. 13 in the rankings released by Top Drawer Soccer
• The Cavaliers opened the season with four straight shutouts before playing No. 16 Georgetown to a 1-1 draw in the last outing on Sunday afternoon
• The Thursday contest with No. 9 Penn State is the third game in a five-game homestand and second straight game against a nationally ranked opponent with No. 3 Duke on deck next week
• It’s the second straight season that the Cavaliers have played a schedule that features three straight contests against teams ranked in the top 16 and two of those ranked in the top 10
• Victoria Safradin posted 623:54 consecutive shutout minutes before the Georgetown goal dating back to last season’s win over Princeton in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament
• The shutout stretch by Safradin was the fifth longest in program history by a keeper
• Lia Godfrey hit her third goal of the season against the Hoyas and it was her third strike this season from a free kick as she has been deadly in that situation this season
• Three Cavaliers scored their first goals of the season last week against Charlotte with Kiki Maki, Maggie Cagle and Sophia Bradley all finding the back of the net – it was Maki’s first game winner
• Godfrey and Cagle continue to be a dynamic duo for the Hoos as they both rank in the top 10 in active D1 players for assists per game – Cagle is 6th (0.38) and Godfrey is 8th (0.34 apg)
• The duo also have been prolific with a combined 40 goals and 55 assists between them – that total includes 16 game-winning goals and 23 game-winning assists from the pair

THE SERIES WITH PENN STATE

• Virginia and Penn State meet for the 19th time when the teams face off on Thursday night on ACC Network
• The Cavaliers lead the series 9-8-1 after a 2-1 victory on the road at then No. 3 Penn State last season
• Maggie Cagle scored both goals in that 2-1 victory as the Cavaliers rallied in the second half against the Nittany Lions
• It is the first meeting in Charlottesville since the 2021 season, a match that Penn State claimed 4-2
• The road team has had the advantage in the series with UVA leading 6-4-1 at PSU and the Nittany Lions leading 4-2-0 in Klöckner