UVA Women's Soccer Looks to Get Back on Track at Virginia Tech

The Cavaliers will face the Hokies in the Commonwealth Clash on Thursday night in Blacksburg

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

Coming off of two disappointing results last week, the No. 13 Virginia women's soccer team (10-2-2, 3-2-1 ACC) will look to get back on track on Thursday night when the Cavaliers travel to Blacksburg to play at Virginia Tech (9-4-1, 3-3-0 ACC) in the Commonwealth Clash. 

UVA dropped to No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches poll this week after spending nearly a month as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation. It was a frustrating week for the Cavaliers, who despite thoroughly outplaying their two opponents to the tune of a combined 45-9 advantage in shots, lost to Florida State 1-0 and tied with Syracuse 2-2.

"I think we're doing a lot of things right - a lot more things right than we're doing wrong," said UVA head coach Steve Swanson on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, in both games, I think we didn't make enough plays to get results. That combination with giving up the goals we gave up at the times we gave up is a recipe for not getting points."

A goal given up to the Seminoles in the first minute proved to be the difference last Thursday night at Klockner as UVA was unable to capitalize on a 21-6 edge in shots with none of the team's 10 shots on goal finding their way into the back of the net. On Sunday, Virginia outshot Syracuse 24-3, but a goal from the Orange in the 89th minute forced a 2-2 draw. 

The results were undoubtedly painful, but Swanson is confident that his team is playing well enough to win and just needs a few plays to go their way at critical moments. 

"I feel confident in this team," Swanson said. "We're a good team and we've shown that throughout the course of the season. and we've just got to get more consistent at making plays at the right time... Some things we can learn from, but there's a lot of things we're doing well despite the results we didn't get these last two games."

To get back in the win column, Virginia will have to take down a Virginia Tech team which lost its last two games, but which brings in a solid 9-4-1 record that includes impressive wins against NC State, Wake Forest, and North Carolina. 

"They're a good team. They always play with a physicality and a competitiveness - we have to match that," Swanson said of Virginia Tech. "They have had good results. They're having a good season... This is life in the ACC."

Virginia leads the all-time series with Virginia Tech 22-4-1, including a pair of wins in the 2020 season the last time these two teams met. But Swanson and the Cavaliers know that there are no easy matches in the ACC and that knocking off the Hokies in Blacksburg will be a significant challenge. 

"We expect a very difficult game," said Swanson. "I think they've shown that they can compete with anybody and get results against anybody and we would expect nothing less from them."

Virginia is looking to improve on its 1-0 lead in the Commonwealth Clash, as the Cavaliers beat the Hokies 4-2 in men's soccer back in September. 

UVA will take on Virginia Tech at Thompson Field in Blacksburg on Thursday at 8pm. The match will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

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