An entire campaign comes down to the postseason, where the lights are brightest and frigid temperatures blanket Klöckner Stadium. In these high-pressure conditions, one play is the difference between preserving championship hopes and the end of a season. Virginia made that crucial play twice Thursday in a 2-0 win over Penn State.
The first half was marked by promising movement negated by even better defense, but the Nittany Lions (10-8-3, 5-4-2 Big Ten) could not keep these Cavaliers (14-3-4, 6-2-2 ACC) contained forever. The dynamic duo of senior forward Maggie Cagle and graduate midfielder Lia Godfrey — one of just two active duos in the country with 50-plus goals and assists — took over the ballgame.
In the 33rd minute, Virginia broke through the stingy defense of the Nittany Lions. Junior midfielder Jill Flammia’s shot was deflected to the right, where Cagle was waiting. With nothing but green grass in front of her, Cagle fired a shot that was tipped in by the goalkeeper. 1-0 Virginia.
Penn State could not conjure up a response to Cagle’s brace. Even when the Nittany Lions managed to strain the Cavaliers’ defense, junior goalkeeper Victoria Safradin was there to thwart any attack.
“She’s just had an incredible year,” Cagle said.
In the 53rd minute, the Cavalier offense relentlessly berated junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress, eventually earning a corner kick. Virginia gently inbounded the ball, fired a crosser, then a headbut before the ball careened over to the open field. There, Godfrey swiftly launched a shot towards the far right end of the goal, netting the Cavaliers’ second goal.
Two goals were more than enough to secure a victory, as Safradin walled off Virginia’s goal with relative ease. By evening’s end, Safradin tallied six saves and secured the Cavaliers’ 13th shutout of the 2025 season.
“If she doesn't make those saves, it's a different game,” Coach Steve Swanson said. “A good goalkeeper is able to [make a significant impact]. And you know she had some action, and she made saves when we needed to make saves.”
The victory did not come without significant costs. In the 36th minute, senior defender Maya Carter collapsed — lying on the grass for several minutes. She gingerly exited with her arms around two medical staff and did not return. In the second half, the same happened to senior forward Meredith McDermott. Freshman defender Liv Rademaker also took a fall in the second half, but she was able to return to the game. Swanson did not have updates on those players postgame.
“Hopefully we'll get some good news, but we'll see,” Swanson said.
Injuries aside, the Cavaliers have now strung together consecutive shutout wins in the NCAA Tournament. The postseason run began with a 5-0 win over High Point Nov. 14, then continued with Thursday’s 2-0 win. Next, Virginia will host No. 4 seeded Washington at Klöckner Stadium Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Huskies will bring their pristine 15-2-6 record to Charlottesville. The Huskies are coming off a 1-0 overtime win over No. 5 seed Arkansas and, before that, a 2-0 win over Montana in the first round. Washington won the Big Ten Tournament and was also the Big Ten regular season champion.
“We know that Washington is a very good, organized team, and they're going to come out strong,” Safradin said. “... At the end of the day, every team, especially in the NCAA [Tournament], is ready to play their hardest game and pull all they can to get that win. So super excited for that game as well.”
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