The top-ranked Virginia women’s soccer team locked up a spot in the ACC Tournament finals by grabbing a 1-0 victory over No. 24 Clemson in a semifinal match at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Virginia (16-1-2) will now face second-ranked Florida State (15-1-2), a 2-1 winner in overtime over fifth-seeded Wake Forest in Sunday’s final.
Kick is set for 1 p.m. on ESPNU.
Virginia got on the board in the 48th minute when Diana Ordoñez found the back of the net from near point-blank range. Laney Rouse played a ball ahead to Haley Hopkins on the left wing to set up the play. Hopkins received the ball and turned, splitting two defenders and racing toward the goal. As she approached the six she slipped the ball through to the back post for Ordoñez who finished for the 1-0 lead.
“It was tough match against a good team tonight,” UVA coach Steve Swanson said. “They’re organized and hard to break down. At halftime, we felt we were in good positions to create some things but couldn’t get the final pass. We had a lot of overlaps that didn’t connect. We had people doing the right things, getting in the box and making good runs, but we couldn’t execute them. Haley had a great run and pass and once we got that first goal it settled us down. But, they’re very good on set plays and counters and have dangerous players, so it was never secure until the end.”
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Chris Graham
