No. 3 Virginia women’s soccer returned to the win column Sunday in an impressive performance on Senior Day at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers (11-2-3, 5-2-2 ACC) defeated Pittsburgh (5-10-2, 1-8-0 ACC) 2-0, celebrating the program’s nine seniors before kickoff and riding graduate midfielder Lia Godfrey’s early fireworks to a much-needed victory.
“It was great to honor the seniors today,” Coach Steve Swanson said. “It’s always a bittersweet time because you’re getting ready to play a game, which you’re excited about, but on the other side of it there are emotions about a class that will leave us in a little bit.”
Coming off a four-match winless stretch, Virginia needed a reset and made it a point to set the tone early.
In the third minute, Virginia did just that. Senior defender Kiki Maki played a ball out wide to senior forward Maggie Cagle, who knifed into the right side of the box with a dribble sequence down the endline. Her service to the near post found Godfrey, whose powerful header into the net gave the Cavaliers an early 1-0 lead.
As a pairing, Cagle and Godfrey have now combined for 53 goals and 61 assists in their careers. On a day when Virginia’s longest-tenured players were honored, their impact stood out — two veterans who have been instrumental to the Cavaliers’ success this season.
Virginia has recently struggled handling high pressure, but not Sunday. A cleaner first half than in the last few games, with tighter passing and a composed attack, allowed the Cavaliers to push possession upfield and generate better final-third looks.
Godfrey doubled the lead in the 19th minute, whipping a driven, low corner that deflected off a Panther defender at the near post and crossed the goal line. Godfrey’s 10th goal of the season marked her first brace since Virginia defeated Xavier in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament and gave the Cavaliers insurance at a time they desperately needed it.
Virginia carried its 2-0 advantage through the first half, outshooting Pittsburgh 6-4 and allowing zero shots on target. After the break, the Panthers challenged the Cavaliers. More disciplined in their buildup, Pittsburgh forced Virginia to defend deeper and eliminate mistakes to the finish in a pivotal ACC matchup.
The Cavalier lead was tested in the 89th minute when a foul in the box led to a penalty. Freshman midfielder Katie Ellermeyer aimed low at the right post, but junior goalkeeper Victoria Safradin was there and smothered the attempt, preserving the clean sheet — her eighth of the season — and sealing the result.
“We were happy we got the win,” Swanson said. “We had a good first half, but dropped off a little bit in the second half. Credit to Pitt, they stayed organized and worked hard.”
In a season filled with promise, the Cavaliers have largely met and exceeded expectations despite the recent slide of two draws and two losses after an 11-game unbeaten run to start the season. Sunday’s response is another testament to the resolve and overall resilience of the group, something it will certainly lean on in the postseason.
With the win, Virginia moved into fourth place in the ACC, level on points with Louisville and Florida State, with just one conference matchup left for the season. There are eight teams within three points of each other heading into the season finale, and Virginia will hope to hold on to its spot in the eight-team conference tournament.
“On the run we’ve had, it was nice to get back, get a win and stabilize ourselves a bit as we prepare for our last home game,” Swanson said.
Fresh off the win, the Cavaliers will close out the regular season against Boston College at 7 p.m. Thursday evening at Klöckner Stadium.
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