Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Alli Fries celebrates her first half goal
CHARLOTTESVILLE The Virginia women’s soccer team used three first half goals to top West Virginia 3-2 in a NCAA Tournament second round game at Kl๖ckner Stadium Sunday afternoon. Virginia held off a second half rally by the Mountaineers and advance to the round of 16 for the fourth consecutive season.
“This was a hard game for any team to lose,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “Give West Virginia a lot of credit. We knew that up 3-0 at the half that they weren’t going to give up and were going to fight back. This felt like a game in the elite eight, not the second round.”
The Cavaliers (15-4-3), the No. 2 seed in the UCLA region, took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute of play on the first shot of the game for either side. Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) sent a corner kick that Alli Fries (Dublin, Ohio) headed in for her fourth goal of the season. The assist was Alwine’s 14th of the season, tying the school record for assists in a season set by Sarah Huffman in 2004.
Virginia held that one-goal lead until late in the first half when they added a pair of goals under a minute apart. In the 44th minute, Sarah Senty (Arlington, Va.) played a ball through to Maggie Kistner (St. Louis, Mo.). Kistner beat the charging keeper to the ball and dribbled around her. She took a shot from almost no angle at the end line towards the empty net that hit the inside of the far post and rolled into the goal. Just 46 seconds later, the Cavaliers struck again. Kistner sent a cross to Alwine at the top of the penalty area. Alwine headed the ball into space and then chipped a 25-yard shot over the keeper who had come forward to try to make a play on the loose ball.
In the second half, the Mountaineers regrouped and rallied to get back into the game. They got on the scoreboard just 1:07 after intermission. Greer Barnes sent a ball to Deana Everrett, who sild a shot from the top of the box past the keeper and in for her sixth goal of the season. Everrett struck again in the 64th minute as she headed in a corner kick from Nicole Mailloux to cut the lead to one. West Virginia had several chances to find the equalizer, but Cavalier keeper Celeste Miles (Garland, Texas) was there each time for a save or interception of a cross.
“We played a great first half,” said Swanson. “That third goal, less than a minute after the second, was a big goal for us. Their first goal, so quick into the second half, was a big goal for them. It gave them hope that they could get back into the game. We knew they were going to come out and pressure us in the second half and fight hard to get back into it. After they got their second goal, I was pleased with how we got back to playing our game over the final 20 minutes.”
Overall, each team had nine shots, while West Virginia had an 8-3 corner kick advantage. Miles and WVU keeper Kerri Butler each had three saves.
The Cavaliers will host ACC rival Duke in the round of 16 on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
“This tournament is all about momentum,” said Swanson. “You just need to get that ball rolling. Being at home has certainly helped us with that and we are looking forward to being able to be at home next week as well. We are at a point of the tournament where it is one game a week now, so we can focus on Duke and be ready for next week.”
VIRGINIA 3, WEST VIRGINIA 2
West Virginia (14-3-6) 0 2 - 2 Virginia (15-4-3) 3 0 - 3
Full Scoreboard
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
