No. 13 Virginia women’s soccer returned to action Sunday at Klöckner Stadium for another non-conference contest, this time against Yale. Despite the Cavaliers (4-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) largely controlling possession for much of the afternoon, the Bulldogs (2-2-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League) kept the game level until a late winner gave Virginia a 2-1 victory.
Sunday’s game was both encouraging and frustrating for Virginia. On one hand, the Cavaliers dominated nearly every statistical category, outshooting Yale 26-4 and putting 11 shots on goal compared to just two for the Bulldogs. Yale was rarely able to sustain long stretches of possession or generate consistent offensive pressure.
On the other hand, Virginia struggled to capitalize on numerous chances in Yale’s final third. Strong service into the box from the Cavaliers, combined with several lapses along the Bulldogs’ back line, created a steady stream of scoring opportunities. Yet, Virginia failed to convert most of them, ultimately needing a late winner to secure the victory.
“Full marks to Yale. They played hard, were very organized and it was hard to break them down,” Coach Steve Swanson said. “We’re happy to get the win, but our overall quality today was not what we hoped. It could be a lot better.”
Virginia opened an eventful first half with a goal in the 12th minute from fourth-year midfielder Ella Carter. Carter and second-year midfielder and forward Addison Halpern executed a beautiful give-and-go at the top of the box, with Carter layering the ball off to Halpern before continuing her run toward the goal. Halpern redirected it back into Carter’s path, and Carter finished the run with a goal to give the Cavaliers an early 1-0 lead.
The assist continued a strong start to the season for Halpern, who has now scored or assisted on a goal in each of Virginia’s first four matches.
Shortly afterward, a foul in the box gave Virginia a penalty kick and a golden opportunity to double its advantage. Fourth-year forward Allie Ross stepped up for the Cavaliers, but Yale senior goalkeeper Isabel Willems denied her attempt. Willems was outstanding and hard to beat all afternoon, finishing with nine saves in total.
Yale quickly responded in the 14th minute. Senior forward Anita Thorvaldsdottir received a through ball on the right side, working her way around two Virginia defenders and slipping a shot past fourth-year goalkeeper Victoria Safradin to level the game at 1-1.
The remainder of the half followed a similar script. Virginia controlled the pace and repeatedly worked its way into the final third but could not turn its opportunities into another goal.
The second half brought more of the same — sustained Virginia possession, scoring chances and missed opportunities. Yale’s back line struggled at times to contain the Cavaliers' athletic midfielders and forwards, creating several chances in behind the defense. Willems continued to shine in net for the Bulldogs, keeping them in the game as Virginia searched for a breakthrough.
There was concern for the Cavaliers in the 76th minute when Halpern was slow to get back to her feet following a shot on goal. She eventually walked off the field with the trainers and was substituted out of the game, something to monitor for Virginia’s upcoming matches.
On the ensuing goal kick, Virginia immediately found the breakthrough it had been searching for. Sophomore defender Jordyn Hardeman headed the ball back toward Yale’s goal, where third-year forward Sophia Bradley had slipped behind the Bulldogs’ back line. Bradley raced onto the ball, took a touch into the box and fired a shot inside the far post to restore Virginia’s lead at 2-1.
The goal was the first game-winner of Bradley’s career.
Yale had one final opportunity to equalize on a corner kick in the 86th minute, but Safradin made a crucial save to preserve Virginia’s one-goal advantage.
Despite the victory, Swanson was clear that the Cavaliers will need to improve as they move toward tougher competition.
“As a team, our decision making, execution and quality wasn’t there today,” Swanson said. “We’re happy to get the result, but need to be much improved this week before we see Tennessee for sure.”
Despite the mistakes and missed opportunities, Virginia did enough to remain undefeated. But with conference play approaching, the Cavaliers will need to sharpen their decision-making and execution in the final third to consistently capitalize on the chances they create.
Virginia will host No. 10 Tennessee at Klöckner Stadium in its penultimate non-conference game at 7 p.m. Thursday. The game will be broadcast live on ACCNX.
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