hokies look to knock off no. 18 louisville

Topher Wagner

April 3, 2021

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Coming off of another tough loss against a ranked opponent, Virginia Tech looks to rebound against No. 18 Louisville on Saturday.

After falling to 3-6 on the year, Virginia Tech is in dire need of a win as it continues its ACC schedule. In its loss to Syracuse, Tech collapsed in the second half and was outscored 10-3 in the final 30 minutes to lose 17-10. Turnovers began to pile up down the stretch, as Tech allowed an extended 9-0 goal run to the Orange, blowing a 7-5 lead in the process.

The Hokies will have to be more consistent to claw their way back to the top 25 rankings against Louisville.

The Cardinals are in a similar spot as Tech, having lost four straight games to drop to 4-6 on the season. Most recently, Louisville was decimated by No. 5 Boston College 18-3, with an early deficit proving too hard to rally from as the Eagles dominated from start to finish.

This will be the ninth all-time matchup between the ACC foes with Louisville leading the series 5-3. Despite this, the Hokies have won three straight games against the Cardinals, including a narrow 8-7 win last season. With both teams several games under .500, this matchup will loom large in order to turn their season around.

Virginia Tech Key to the Game: Close out the Second Half

Against the Orange, Tech played a great first half against one of the best teams in the country, fighting to a 7-7 draw through the first 30 minutes. By the second half, the tide had turned as Syracuse rallied strong, outshooting Tech by seven goals to pull away.

Weak second halves have plagued the Hokies all year, so Tech will have to find a way to finish games in order to put away a scrappy Louisville squad.

Louisville Key to the Game: Convert on offense

In the blowout loss to Boston College, the Cardinals put up a paltry 11 shots on goal all game as the offense never got going. Louisville has been known to put up goals this season, it just needs to make the most of their opportunities.

Against Tech, the Cardinals will need to take advantage of what’s been a suspect Hokies’ defense as of late.

Virginia Tech Player to Watch: Emma Crooks

Despite the blowout loss to Syracuse, Crooks continued her strong start to the year and was the main catalyst on offense for Tech, putting up four goals. Crooks also had six out of the Hokies’ 18 shots on goal to try to rally her squad against the Orange.

In what should be a high scoring bout, Tech’s star will have to continue to convert her offensive chances to upset Louisville.

Louisville Player to Watch: Ally Hall

For the Cardinals, Hall has been a force to be reckoned with this season, powering them to most of their wins. The senior is one of the most consistent scorers in the ACC, pacing the team in goals and shots.

To bounce back against the Hokies, Hall will have to outduel Paige Petty and the rest of Tech’s scorers to pull out a win.

Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 12, Louisville 10

Both Tech and Louisville have had rough starts to the year, as the ACC opponents have struggled mightily against ranked opponents to fall below .500. For the Cardinals, an inconsistent offense has doomed them as of late, with an anemic attack being the main issue in the loss to Boston College.

On paper this matchup appears to favor the Hokies, as Tech’s defense has been inconsistent all year but can slow down opposing offenses in brief stretches. Petty and Crooks have propelled Virginia Tech all year long and will continue to scrape the Hokies out of their early season lull to win, 12-10.