virginia tech seeking first ACC win against irish

Jack Brizendine

April 21, 2021

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Unable to carry the momentum from last week’s big win against No. 19 Elon, Virginia Tech enters Wednesday against No. 6 Notre Dame coming off a disappointing loss to No. 8 Duke, 13-7.

In addition to grabbing their second ranked victory on the season, the Hokies also look to get their first ACC win this year. A win would also be the first against Notre Dame on the road in program history.

Both squads enter this matchup desperately needing the win, as the Hokies come in as losers of four of their last five and Irish enter with a three game losing streak.

Virginia Tech Key to the game: Win the draw control battle

The Hokies were out-drawn 17-5 by the Blue Devils in Saturday’s loss. The lack of draw wins caused Duke to have considerably more offensive possessions than Virginia Tech, ultimately playing a role in the loss.

Against a potentially even more talented Fighting Irish squad, the Hokies will need to make sure they’re getting as many opportunities on offense as possible.

Notre Dame Key to the game: Build a large lead early

Virginia Tech was never able to recover after Duke snagged a 6-1 lead in the first fourteen minutes of the game. The Hokies were only able to get within two goals of the Blue Devils for the rest of the game.

A quick blow to Virginia Tech’s confidence early on could be the difference for Notre Dame.

Virginia Tech Player to watch: Paige Petty

Petty has been a force for the Hokies all season. The senior midfielder leads Virginia Tech with 31 goals on the year, in addition to 34 points.

A strong performance from Petty will be crucial as the Hokies look to pull off the upset.

Notre Dame Player to watch: Samantha Lynch

Lynch is undoubtedly Notre Dame’s most valuable asset. Despite only playing in nine of her team’s eleven games, Lynch leads the team in goals (27) and points (33).

Expect Lynch to show out for Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Prediction: Notre Dame 14, Virginia Tech 8

The Hokies need to string some wins together as they approach the ACC tournament, but that won’t start on Wednesday. A top-ten ranked Notre Dame team that hasn’t won a game in almost three weeks will be out for blood and should easily come out on top.