Virginia Women’s Soccer Controls VCU

It was a result of a corner, and for those counting at home, it was the eighth goal of the season off a set-piece (out of 15 goals) and that kind of imbalance suggests a trouble scoring within the run of play.  Virginia has zero aerial presence – long gone are the days of Meg McCool and Haley Hopkins – and of those 10 long-range attempts in the first half, most were seriously skied over the goal.

The second half was a different story as Swanson once again won the Battle of Halftime.  The guy is amazing.  No one comes out of the locker room for the second frame as pumped as Swanson’s players.  (I hope assistant coach Lizzie Sieracki, should she want to pursue a coaching career, is taping Swanson’s talks.)  Thirty seconds after re-start, Flammia had a powerful drive into the box for a good McDermott chance.  Ninety seconds later, defender Liv Rademaker similarly drove to the box (this time from the left) to push the ball out wide for a Cagle cross that should have been the game’s second goal.

Three minutes later that second goal finally arrived.  Great combination play lead to a Laney Rouse cross that freshman Addison Halpern blasted from within the six-yard box for her first collegiate goal.  Halpern is the reigning scholastic player of the year with a career 180 goals.  These first seven and a half games must have been the longest drought of her life.  She’s been pushing, and not in a good way, for this goal.  Hopefully now that the goose egg is off her back, she will relax and be more effective.

Maggie Cagle sealed the deal when she refused to give up on a ball that looked, from tv’s poor angle, to be out of bounds at the baseline.  But, she played to the whistle, as all players are taught to do, and was rewarded with her third goal of the season which coincidentally matched the final 3 – 0 scoreline.

Player Notes:  Laughlin Ryan, as Swanson promised last week, returned to the pitch playing as left back when Rademaker rested.  She had three ACL tears in her first years on Grounds and has proven to be quite inspirational for team and fans alike.  This was her first game of the season.  It was good to see her back in action.

Next Up:  Swanson deliberately chose to play just seven out-of-conference games this season (he could have played eight.)  This gives the team more rest, and to be frank, it’s a good move.  FSU scheduled just six non-conference games this season.  Virgina got what they wanted from their non-con slate.  Scheduling neighbors Georgetown, West Virginia and Penn State gave the Hoos all they could handle – Virginia has played the hardest schedule in the country thus far – and now is the time to take the breather as ACC play begins in earnest.  Virginia travels to Syracuse on Saturday, September 20th.  Gametime is 7pm and the game is on ACC Network Extra.