The Cavalier Daily
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No. 4 Women’s soccer rebounds following first loss

<p>Junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe broke a 1-1 tie Sunday against No. 14 Notre Dame, scoring a goal with 20 seconds remaining in the game.</p>

Junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe broke a 1-1 tie Sunday against No. 14 Notre Dame, scoring a goal with 20 seconds remaining in the game.

The fourth-ranked Virginia women’s soccer team broke back. After being knocked from the top of the ACC standings following a crushing loss to Florida State last weekend, the Cavaliers (11-1-0, 3-1-0 ACC) hit the road once again to take on yet another ranked ACC foe, 14th-ranked Notre Dame (7-4-1, 2-2-0 ACC), Sunday in South Bend, Indiana.

The matchup was just the second ACC regular season meeting between the two squads, but early foundations of an historic rivalry are in the works. Last season’s rain-drenched matchup sent shockwaves through Division I women’s college soccer, as the Cavaliers took down the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish on a golden goal in double overtime by star midfielder Morgan Brian.

The Cavaliers thoroughly dominated this year’s matchup in front of 1,167 fans, as they outshot the Irish 19-6, but couldn’t find the back of the net during the first 45 minutes. After just eight minutes of play following the break, however, Brian stole a pass, made a move in the box and fired in her fourth goal of the season to put Virginia up 1-0.

Just as the Cavaliers looked to be wrapping up another challenging, trying win, Notre Dame junior midfielder and United States U-20 women’s national team member Cari Roccaro settled a loose ball about 30 yards away and rocketed a shot inside the far post for an 84th-minute equalizer.

As the two teams looked to simply close regulation tied, Virginia made one final push. Off a pass from sophomore forward Morgan Reuther, junior forward Makenzy Doniak took a shot that was blocked by Notre Dame sophomore goalkeeper Kaela Little. The rebound fell right to the Cavaliers’ charging junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe, who put away her sixth goal of the season with just 20 seconds left in the game to give Virginia its 11th win of the season.

The Cavaliers will return home to face Boston College at Klöckner Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m.

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