The Rundown: Adair's squad back on track after 2-1 win over Clemson
Clemson, S.C.- After the Hokies lost to Liberty in their first of two losses last week, Coach Adair emphasized that his side needed to be more aggressive as the season progressed.
An assertive standing tackle, which won the ball twice for Natalie Mitchell, who cooly provided an assist to the pacy Anna Weir to open the account Thursday night, shows that aggressiveness.
This 1-0 advantage was met with a team celebration that looked like there was a wave of unity amongst this team.
That is the same togetherness shown minutes later when, despite being faced with a shot on goal, Tech defenders stopped a shot from even getting to keeper Lauren Hargrove by throwing themselves at it and clearing all danger out.
Unlike in previous matchdays, when the Hokies may have fallen a little out of sync in their buildup, amongst the rain in Clemson, they looked back to their early-season form, finding each other in productive places and knowing where each other is without having to pick up their heads.
That strong linkup was evident in Tech's second goal, where a sharp counterattack opened up space down the left flank. Taylor Lewin was found one-on-one with the goal, and the freshman gently dinked over a diving Nona Reason to put the game to bed with 20 minutes to go.
For Lewin, it was her first goal as a Hokie, and it was a chip that proved to be a game-winner as Clemson clawed their way back with a lofted ball to Megan Bornkamp, who skied above the Hokies' defense and halved the deficit with a header.
Despite Clemson peppering the Tech goal over the final 15 minutes, Hargrove was on top of the quickfire shots put her way and ultimately Adair's side held strong and were able to pull off the narrow 2-1 victory
Up next for Tech is a trip back to Thompson, where the Hokies will host Syracuse this Sunday at noon. In an effort to start ACC play with a neat 2-0 record.
CONNOR MARDIAN