Virginia women’s soccer began its quest for ACC glory in Tallahassee, Fla. Sunday, taking on Florida State in the quarterfinal of the conference tournament. Although both teams remained scoreless for the entirety of the game, the No. 5 seed Cavaliers (12-2-4, 6-2-2 ACC) kept their cool to defeat the No. 4 seed Seminoles (10-2-4, 6-2-2 ACC) 6-5 in penalty kicks.
Although neither side was able to break the deadlock in open play, the contest was still an exciting one. A combined 36 shots kept both the goalkeepers busy and the fans on their feet. Coach Steve Swanson recognized that in such a tightly contested battle, effort is key.
“I saw a lot of heart to come down here after playing on Thursday and give the kind of effort we did,” Swanson said. “It was an amazing team win. Florida State is a great team, and it’s hard to keep them off the scoreboard.”
During regulation, the Seminoles had the better share of chances — it took some stout defending in all phases to keep the scoreline level. In some moments, the Cavaliers seemed to just be weathering the Florida State storm. The Seminoles doubled Virginia’s tally of shots on goal and corner kicks, but the Cavalier defense held strong.
Junior goalkeeper Victoria Safradin had one of the best games of her Virginia career, producing eight saves and doing well to clear crosses and organize her backline. Additionally, the Cavaliers’ defense seemed to be on a mission to block shots, sacrificing legs, thighs and torsos alike to relieve the pressure.
Although Florida State had the lion’s share of chances, the best opportunity of the game belonged to Virginia. Midway through the second half, senior forward Maggie Cagle earned a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box. Fifth-year midfielder Lia Godfrey stepped up and delivered a sweet strike over the wall and toward the near post, but Seminole freshman goalkeeper Kate Ockene made a beautiful save to prevent a goal.
As full-time approached, both sides were exhausted, and the game was beginning to get stretched. Long spells of possession were becoming more and more rare, creating chaotic, pin-ball passing and uncharacteristic mistakes from both teams.
After neither side could break the deadlock, penalty kicks were necessary to see who would secure a trip to Cary, N.C., for the rest of the ACC Tournament. Both teams converted their first five attempts from the spot, meaning that sudden death was put into effect. Safradin made a great diving save, parrying away Florida State’s sixth kick — meaning the Cavaliers just needed to score to secure a place in the semifinal.
Senior midfielder Maya Carter stepped up and smashed her penalty into the top left corner, leaving Ockene no chance. Carter was swarmed by her Virginia teammates, while the Seminole players looked downwards in disappointment.
In an environment where neither side can truly break down their opponent, defense became all the more important. Swanson highlighted how the Cavaliers’ defensive efforts were key to victory.
“That was the difference in the game,” Swanson said. “We defended very well and put everything into this. I’m proud of the team. We had some players step up in the shootout, and [Safradin] was awesome. We have to get rested now, that was a physical battle for sure.”
Virginia showed impressive grit to overcome a great conference opponent, an opponent that had gotten the better of the Cavaliers less than two weeks prior. If the Cavaliers can defend at that level in their upcoming games, it won’t take much for the offense to put Virginia in a position to make it far.
The Cavaliers return to action in the semifinals of the tournament Thursday, where they’ll take on top-seeded Stanford. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
Read More
The authors, architects and ascendance of Virginia football
By Xander Tilock | 6 hours ago"If you look at where we were last year, this time, it's almost impossible to see how we could have gotten so far, so fast.”
Watchilla dominates in field hockey's win over Stanford
By Jack Schocket | 20 hours agoVirginia survived a second half surge from Stanford to advance to the ACC semifinals.
Women’s basketball annihilates Morgan State by 50 points in season opener
By Cierra Lyles | Yesterday"I’m blessed to be able to put Virginia on the map,” junior guard Kymora Johnson said.
