virginia edges virginia tech in overtime thriller

Nick Cheshire

September 26, 2020

BLACKSBURG - In a back and forth game in Blacksburg, No. 11 Virginia edged out Virginia Tech at Thompson Field on Friday night, winning 1-0 in extra time.

After a balanced second half, the Cavaliers (2-1-1) came out firing in extra time, quickly applying pressure on the Hokies (0-4). Lia Godfrey had an attempt on goal in the 92nd minute that just sailed wide, but she would get another chance. In the 94th minute, Godfrey had her opportunity, and she delivered a beautiful corner into the box that set up Claire Constant to connect on an impressive header for the golden goal.

In similar fashion to the first meeting, the Cavaliers were dominant in the first half, outshooting the Hokies 15-3. Despite the offensive onslaught, the match remained scoreless heading into the break thanks to five first half saves by Virginia Tech goalkeeper Alia Skinner.

The second half proved to be a considerably more balanced affair, with both teams trading chances early, starting with Tech’s star midfielder Emily Gray directing a header just wide in the 51st minute. Virginia responded by creating chances of their own, including a near miss from Diana Ordonez in the 77th minute that sailed just past the far post. Neither team capitalized on their chances, so the match headed to overtime.

After just three shots in the first half, the Hokies exploded in the second half, tallying nine shots and forcing four saves.

"We just came together as a team [in the second half]," Skinner said. "I think we really wanted this win, especially because it's UVa."

The Cavaliers outshot the Hokies 27-12, forcing Skinner to make nine saves for Tech. The freshman, who has made 31 saves through the Hokies' first four games, kept Tech in the game with a few spectacular plays.

“She’s just confident, and her confidence has grown with each game," Gray said of her freshman teammate. “She’s done a great job so far in that role, and she’s faced the adversity well."

It was Tech's home opener after starting the season with three matches on the road, and the energy at Thompson Field was felt by the coaches and players.

"It was great to get back out at Thompson; I think that the team really felt that energy," Virginia Tech head coach Chugger Adair said. "Tonight was our best group effort. I've seen a lot of improvement since their first night at UVa. I think these two weeks we’ve improved, we’ve gotten better, and we’re just going to try and build, grow and develop the group.”

Both teams are back in action next Thursday, October 1, with the Hokies hosting Florida State at 8 p.m. and the Cavaliers hosting Pitt at 7 p.m.