Courtesy: Matt Riley / UVa Media Relations Sinead Farrelly
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The No. 7 Virginia women’s soccer team concluded its season-opening three-game homestand with a 5-0 victory over VCU Sunday night at Klöckner Stadium. Five different Cavaliers scored in the game while the defense posted its third shutout to start the year.
“I was really pleased with how we competed tonight,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “Overall this was probably our strongest performance of the year. However, we realize that we still have a lot of work to do. We need to keep improving with each game.”
The Cavaliers took a 1-0 advantage in the 26th minute. Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.) took a free kick from just outside the area and found Alli Fries (Dublin, Ohio), who headed home her first goal of the season.
Virginia extended its lead in the 57th minute. Sarah Senty (Arlington, Va.) sent a ball that got Farrelly behind the defense and Farrelly’s cross found Maggie Kistner (St. Louis, Mo.) at the far post, who tapped in her first career goal. The Cavaliers made the score 3-0 in the 65th minute as Caitlin Miskel (Boca Raton, Fla.) scored when she one-timed a cross from Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.). In the 87th minute, Molly McKeon (Midlothian, Va.) was tackled in the box and Nikki Krzysik (Clifton, N.J.) converted the ensuing penalty kick. Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.) capped the scoring a minute later as Lindsey Miller (Nashua, N.H.) flicked on a Katie Carr (Williamsburg, Va.) ball into her run for a breakaway, where Lenczyk chipped a shot over the charging VCU keeper.
“VCU put good pressure on us and didn’t sit back defensively like we have seen earlier this year,” said Swanson. “We were able to use the space in behind their defense and score some nice goals. In addition, I think we did a better job of making decisions and that allowed us to be more efficient offensively than we were in the first two games.”
Overall the Cavaliers outshot the Rams 16-2 and had an 8-2 corner kick advantage. Celeste Miles (Garland, Texas) made notched her third shutout of the season, while Lauren Hardison made four saves for VCU.
The Cavaliers will hit the road for the first time this season when they head South for next weekend’s Georgia Nike Invitational. Virginia will meet No. 21 Georgia Friday night at 7 p.m. and Auburn on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES: Through three games, Virginia has had 17 different players record a point, including eight different goal scorers. This already matches the number of point scorers for UVa from last season ... the Cavaliers extend their winning streak to 20 games against in-state opponents, outscoring them 73-1 in those games ... Virginia extends its home unbeaten streak to 16 games (14-0-2) ... Virginia’s 14 goals through the first three games is a team record, breaking the previous record of 13 goals in the first three games of the 2004 season ... Krzysik’s goal was Virginia’s second penalty kick of the season, after not having one in either of the previous two seasons.
Full Scoreboard
Courtesy: Matt Riley / UVa Media Relations
