On a day when unfavorable weather shrouded Charlottesville in dark skies and misty rain, Virginia and Wake Forest battled under the lights of Klöckner Stadium. And while the rain put a damper on the day, skies cleared just before kickoff — and the Cavaliers' play blew up the night.
It looked as if the Cavaliers (10-0-0, 2-0-0 ACC) needed a little extra time to get their minds right before opening up play, easily beating Wake Forest (3-5-2, 1-1 ACC), 5-0. The first 11 minutes of the match entered unchartered territory for Virginia. Wake Forest took control early, getting the first shot of the game and pressuring sophomore goalkeeper Morgan Stearns from the initial kickoff — a part of the game Virginia has prided itself on thus far.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for that program,” Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. “If you look back in history, they won’t have given up five goals to a lot of teams. They’re tough, they’re well organized and they’re always a hard team to breakdown.”
In the 12th minute, the Cavaliers broke through. After junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe hit the post on a rebound — the first of her two near misses in the first half — Virginia worked the ball to a corner kick. As senior midfielder Danielle Colaprico launched a beautiful ball into the box, sophomore transfer defender Meghan Cox skied over everyone else to head in her third goal of the season.
“It was a well hit ball by Dani and I went up for it and it went right in the goal,” Cox said. “We really have been working on that [creativity on set pieces], so it’s just another option that we have with the skilled players who can get us services from long range.”
Virginia settled down and pushed forward as the half progressed, aided by the return of senior midfielder Morgan Brian, who calmly controlled the middle of the field. While the Cavaliers found success in her absence, it was clear her presence made a significant difference.
“Having Morgan back helps our midfield connect and she’s a great attacking midfielder,” Cox said. “Without her it’s a little rough, but we get through it and having her is one thing that makes our team a lot better.”
In the 28th minute, Brian made her presence felt off a free kick from just outside the box on the left side. She whipped the ball around the Demon Deacons’ wall — and just before freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Preston could make a play on the ball, one of her defenders redirected it just out of reach. The goal pushed the Cavalier lead to 2-0, deflating what was an aggressive, visibly motivated Deacons team.
“You have to shoot to score, and if it hits someone it hits someone,” Brian said. “Obviously it’s not the best free kick I’ve taken, [and] I don’t even know how it went in — I just know it went in.”
Brian put her stamp on the game in the 65th minute, collecting the ball at the top of the box and firing a left footed shot which was similarly deflected away from Preston and into the side netting, doubling the reigning MAC Hermann Trophy award winner’s tally.
Four minutes later, Brian beat her marker on the left side and fired a strong cross which sophomore forward Morgan Reuther redirected in for her second goal of the year, and the ninth goal scored by the Cavalier bench. The assist also moved Brian into a tie for fourth on Virginia’s all-time points list.
“That was a great goal,” Swanson said. “The difference was we had a lot of movement through the middle of the field.”
Just when it looked like the Cavaliers had called it a night on the offensive end, totaling four goals and 21 shots, junior defender Emily Sonnett decided to get in on the action. Off a failed clear, she settled the ball about 10 yards from the goal and slotted her second goal of the season past the diving Preston. Sonnett’s goal, along with Cox’s earlier in the contest, pushed the Virginia defense’s goal total to eight on the season — just one less than the back line scored all of last year.
“It’s just our urge to win,” Cox said. “[The defense] wants it and we want to keep our record at wins and no losses. It’s just our urge to find the back of the net.”
While the offense has received and will continue to receive much praise for its play, with the Cavaliers having won their first 10 games, Stearns and her defensive backline have also worked extremely well together to deny the opposition opportunities and goals. Thursday marked the defense’s sixth shutout, lowering Virginia’s goals against average to .400 — good for 10th in the nation.
“We don’t normally sub as much on the back line, but I feel there’s a lot of players there who we’re still trying to see what they can do,” Swanson said. “I think we’re getting better ... and I think they’re coming together.”
For Virginia fans, Thursday night’s dominating victory against the Demon Deacons seemed like just another game for the Cavaliers, thoroughly controlling their opponent en route to a multi-goal win. But the win stretches their record to 10-0-0 — marking just the third time in program history the team has started so well.
Read More
Leo Afonso is ascending the ranks of club soccer — and he is not done yet
By Ben Istvan | 4 hours agoVirginia's former talisman recently made waves in professional soccer with a dreamlike 17-day stretch.
Virginia softball fumbles last home game of the season to Virginia Tech
By Eleanor Lynch | YesterdayThe Hokies shut out the Cavaliers, who continue to show immense struggles at the plate.
Hoos in the NBA Playoffs
By Oliver Blair | YesterdayThe NBA Playoffs are tipping off imminently, and many of Virginia’s former heroes will be chasing the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
