Virginia couldn't have asked for a better going away present. Propelled by senior Lindsay Gusick's two goals, the Cavaliers downed Liberty 5-0 Wednesday night as they prepared for a road trip to top-25 rival West Virginia this weekend.
After just five minutes of play that featured a brilliant display of ball control by the Cavalier midfielders, sophomore Shannon Foley gained possession of the ball in the corner of the Flames' box, attracting two Liberty defenders. Foley then spun around and split the defenders with a pass to a wide open Gusick who took one touch and chipped it over Liberty's goalkeeper Natalie Mayer.
Virginia tacked on a second first half goal when the team's tallest player, senior Jamie Fabrizio, rose above the Flames defense to head in a Sarah Huffman corner kick. The Cavaliers headed to halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead after holding their opponent shotless in the first half for the third game in a row. Defensively, Virginia has been near perfect to begin the season, recording three consecutive shutouts as well as allowing only six shots.
"It's the whole team that is defending well," Fabrizio said. "I think the competition is going to step up in the next couple weeks. So hopefully [the defense] continues to hold together."
It certainly held together fine in the second half, as Virginia posted another three goals, including junior Kristen Weiss' first goal in nearly two seasons after battling back from multiple ACL injuries. Additionally, Gusick tallied her second goal of the night and freshman Sarah Curtis recorded her second goal in as many games. The Flames' offense never seriously threatened Virginia keeper Christina de Vries due to the Cavaliers' effective offsides trap.
"I thought we did some good things," coach Steve Swanson said. "We created an awful lot of chances. Obviously you'd like to see a better finishing percentage. But I thought their goalie played very well tonight. On a different night, I think it might have been a much different score line."
With three consecutive dominant performances to begin the season, it would not be unreasonable for the Cavaliers to feel comfortable with their level of play. But with the next two games coming against much higher quality opponents, West Virginia and UCLA, the Cavaliers know there are always things that need work.
"We set the schedule so that these next few games are going to test us," Swanson said. "They are going to test our back line, and they are going to test our keeper. It's a long season and we have a lot to work on, we know that."
The Cavaliers will have their first opportunity to see if their stellar defense is able to maintain its high level of play away from the comfy confines of Klockner when they travel to Morgantown, W.Va. Sunday to face No. 21 West Virginia. Each of the last three seasons, Virginia's matchup with the Mountaineers has been decided by a single goal, with the Cavaliers taking two of three. Regardless of Virginia's relatively easy beginning, this weekend's game may prove to be the team's first real test of the season.
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