Virginia defeated Syracuse 4-0 on a cold, misty night at Klöckner Stadium. Before Saturday night’s match between the Cavaliers (6-2-2, 2-2-0 ACC) and the Orange (4-6-2, 1-4-0 ACC), seven graduating players were recognized for their contributions to Virginia women’s soccer.
Virginia put together a commanding opening half Saturday evening as they controlled the tempo from kickoff. The Cavaliers dictated early play with high pressure, breaking through in the ninth minute as third-year forward Gio Canali secured her third goal of the season to put Virginia ahead 1-0.
The Cavalier goal came from a corner kick, with fourth-year midfielder Ella Carter whipping it into the near post. The Syracuse defense failed to deal with the corner, and the ball bounced off the leaping Canali’s shoulder and trickled into the back of the Orange’s net, giving Virginia an early lead that they would not relinquish.
Coming off her recent run with the U20 Brazil National Team, Canali returned to Klöckner Stadium in last week’s matchup against No. 1 North Carolina where she played just under 40 minutes and missed one shot on target.
“It was a tough start with me coming back straight with [North Carolina],” Canali said. “I think the girls were a great help with [adapting] ... The staff was honestly really encouraging for me getting back. And honestly, the fans really helped me get back …This goal was extremely helpful with my confidence.”
The Cavaliers continued their pressure on Syracuse throughout the entire first half as they outshot the Orange 15-0, forcing Syracuse’s junior goalkeeper Maya Naimoli into six saves. Second-year Virginia midfielder Addison Halpern led the Cavalier attack with five total shots throughout the half — three on target — while Canali added three shots of her own.
Throughout the half, Virginia controlled 73 percent of the total possession and added on five corner kicks as they completely silenced the Orange’s attack. Fourth-year goalkeeper Victoria Safradin was extremely untested in the first 45 minutes as the Cavalier defense was able to hold Syracuse without a single shot or corner kick attempt.
Virginia kept its foot on the gas in the second half, turning its relentless pressure into a total blowout.
In the 80th minute, fourth-year forward Aniyah Collier doubled the lead for the Cavaliers as she fired a clean shot to the bottom-right of the goal, bringing Virginia up 2-0. Less than four minutes later, second-year defender Jordyn Hardeman secured a goal for herself to push the Cavaliers up 3-0. Less than two minutes later, Virginia was rewarded a penalty kick from a handball call on the Orange, which was taken by Hardeman. She capitalized on the opportunity to cap off the evening and secure the final 4-0 scoreline.
“We defended consistently throughout the match,” Coach Steve Swanson said. “That was good to see. Last game against Carolina, we were disappointed, obviously, in that little three-minute, two-minute stretch. So, you know, we came back. We had a full week of training. We worked very hard on that piece, and I think we’re making progress there.”
To their credit, the Cavaliers prioritized defensive schemes in their matchup tonight for all 90 minutes. They secured a clean sheet for Safradin with zero goals and zero shots on target from Syracuse. Virginia had full command from start to finish as the Orange struggled to build any rhythm in transition.
All told, it was a successful senior night for the Cavaliers as a pair of fourth-years directly contributed to the scoreboard. Virginia will look to start a winning streak from their dominant 4-0 win and bring their momentum to South Bend, Ind., Thursday at 7 p.m. as they face off against No. 12 Notre Dame.
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