No. 1 Virginia women’s soccer fell to then-No. 4 Florida State 2-2 at the ACC Final Nov. 8, after redshirt forward Berglind Thorvaldsdottir netted her side’s seventh penalty kick. The Cavaliers had outshot the Seminoles 17 to 11 prior to the shootout but failed to take advantage.
One has to wonder if doubt entered the minds of Virginia players when a scoreless 110 minutes gave way to another penalty shootout against No. 9 Rutgers Friday night. The Cavaliers had doubled the Scarlet Knights in shots at 12 to 6 and taxed themselves searching for a late goal.
Recalling the Nov. 8 heartbreaker, coach Steve Swanson opted for junior goalkeeper Jessie Ferrari over junior goalkeeper Morgan Stearns — who had allowed seven consecutive Florida State penalties to cross the goal line, including a slow roller down the middle.
Ferrari settled in front of the frame of the goal Friday with a crowd of nearly 3,000 on edge and a trip to Cary, North Carolina on the line. The Fairfax, Virginia native leapt to her left and denied senior defender Erica Skroski’s attempt.
Tasked with preserving momentum, Cavalier junior midfielder Alexis Shaffer drilled a low shot that deflected off of sophomore goalkeeper Casey Murphy and into the back of the net. Shaffer crossed herself in relief, and her teammates let out a collective breath at midfield.
Moments later, Ferrari saved another penalty to her left in brilliant fashion. Virginia freshman forward Ayan Adu then calmly placed her kick past Murphy. The Cavaliers appeared to be in total control up two makes to none.
Everything unraveled from there. Reminiscent of the Seminoles, Rutgers buried seven straight penalties. The Cavaliers missed three of seven and saw their incredible 2015 campaign come to an abrupt close. Friday’s exit stings, but it allows for reflection.
Virginia set a program record 38-straight wins at Klöckner, which is tied for the sixth longest streak in NCAA history. Swanson guided his group to a 15-1-1 regular-season record and a No. 1 seed entering postseason play.
The Cavaliers finally knocked off rival Florida State 1-0 on an emotional senior day Oct. 25. Senior forward Makenzy Doniak and senior defender Emily Sonnett earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, respectively.
Five seniors, including Doniak, Sonnett, forward Kaili Torres, forward Brittany Ratcliffe and defender Julia Sroba, played their final game for Virginia Friday. Their dedication over four — even five — seasons has contributed so much to the Cavalier program. They have left an impact on their younger teammates.
The Cavaliers will return with weapons on offense and stabilizers on defense. Shaffer, junior forward Morgan Reuther, who missed much of the postseason with a leg injury, and sophomore forward Veronica Latsko will attack at will. Stearns and junior defender Kristen McNabb will direct a stingy back line.
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