No. 4 south carolina hands hokies first loss in 2022, 2-1

By Nels Williams

Staff Writer

September 8, 2022

BLACKSBURG – The first loss of the season for Virginia Tech came at the hands of No. 4 South Carolina on Thursday night.

After scoring two goals within three minutes of each other in the second half, the Gamecocks (5-0-2) left on top at Thompson Field, 2-1.

It was a matchup that had generated much buzz and excitement leading up to the 6 p.m. kickoff due to the high rank of the Gamecocks. A win against them would have been the first win over a top-five opponent in nine years for Virginia Tech (5-1-1) and a statement victory for the program.

Defeating the elite South Carolina squad, who made it to the NCAA quarterfinals last year, would have also surely propelled the unranked Hokies into the Top 25. Virginia Tech received votes in this week’s national coaches Top 25 poll.

Initially, it appeared Virginia Tech had a shot at pulling off the upset when forward Natalie Mitchell scored the Hokies’ only goal in the 18th minute, after she fired a penalty kick to the top left corner. The opportunity came from a handball penalty called on the Gamecocks’ defender Camryn Dixon.

Virginia Tech led 1-0 at the half, with excitement buzzing in the air amongst the 1,200 fans in attendance.

“We did a pretty good job in the first half,” Tech head coach Chugger Adair told reporters postgame. We … dominated the tempo, especially in the first 35 minutes or so.”

But early into the second half, South Carolina roared back, scoring back-to-back goals less than ten minutes in, sealing South Carolina’s win.

The equalizer came from forward Shea O’Rourke in the 56th minute, after she hustled her way past two Virginia Tech defenders and worked a tough shot off her right foot while facing pressure from a third to squib it beyond the left side of an off-balance Lauren Hargrove. Hargrove, who’s taken over for an injured Alia Skinner, was in net for Virginia Tech after being unavailable the previous game against the Charlotte 49ers.

“The score might not show that we won or that we should be proud of this game, but I am for sure proud of our team and the fight that we had,” Hargrove said. “We’re going to take this game and run with it.”

Both goalkeepers Lauren Hargrove and Heather Hinz for the Gamecocks made four saves Thursday night.

Then, in the 59th minute, USC’s Catherine Berry notched the game-winning goal by slicing her way through three Hokie defenders from midfield to the lower left corner of the box before taking a sharp-angle shot and ricocheting the ball off of the far right post and in for a highlight reel goal.

“We weren’t clean with our defending in that second half to deal with some of their special players up top,” Adair said. “We didn’t defend the target player, Cat Berry, as well as we could’ve. We got caught out of position a couple times in recovery and that hurt us.”

Virginia Tech tried to create opportunities, and made a few in the 60th-minute window that came from Taylor Price and Natalie Mitchell, but to no avail, as the Gamecocks played clean, lock-down soccer to close out the game.

Mitchell, the lone goalscorer of the night, has been a bright spot in the Virginia Tech lineup in her first year with the Hokies. The Temecula, Calif. native has recorded eight points in seven games, with two goals and four assists.

“I’m satisfied to the point that I’m happy on the field but we’re not done yet and we have a lot more to accomplish. But I’m glad I’m contributing to the team and get to play with these girls,” Mitchell said in regards to her play so far this season.

Although the game did not end the way Virginia Tech wanted to, Adair saw a few positives that came from playing against such an unyielding opponent in the Gamecocks.

“I think it’s good for the kids to see this high level … and kind of the level that’s expected and the athleticism you need to bring and the toughness that you need to bring in these matchups,” Adair said. “I think they’re very athletic. They’re well coached. I think we’re gonna play teams that are stronger and better through our conference. So it was a really good matchup and good opportunity for us.”

Thursday night marked the second time in history that the two schools played each other. On September 12, 2021 – almost a year ago to the date – Virginia Tech marched down to Columbia and left with a win thanks to a goal from then-Senior forward Nicole Kozlova, walking away in a 1-0 match.

The Hokies host Northern Colorado for their next matchup this Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m. It’s the last non-conference team Virginia Tech will play before ACC play begins versus Pitt next Friday at Thompson Field.

South Carolina heads to Raleigh, N.C. to play another ACC opponent in NC State on Sunday in what is also their last non-conference game as well before it begins SEC play.