The fourth-ranked UVA women’s soccer team opened play in the 2014 NCAA Tournament with an 8-0 victory over high point in a first round match Friday at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers (19-2) advanced to next week’s second round, while the Panthers saw their season come to an end with a 12-5-4 record.
Senior midfielder Morgan Brian (St. Simons Island, Ga.) tied an NCAA Tournament single-game record with five assists in the contest, while sophomore forward Morgan Reuther (Chantilly, Va.) recorded her first collegiate hat trick. Brian also scored a goal, tying the Virginia single-game points record with seven, to go along with her school-record five assists. Sophomore Kristen McNabb (Montville, N.J.), juniors Makenzy Doniak (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Brittany Ratcliffe (Williamstown, N.J.) and redshirt freshman Tori Hanway (McLean, Va.) also scored for the Cavaliers.
“Obviously, we are happy with the result,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “We have been in enough of these games to know that they are much tougher than they might appear on paper. I thought we came out with the right kind of focus and played some good soccer early. We were able to finish some goals and take control early on, which is always important in these first round NCAA Tournament games.”
Virginia jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. McNabb tapped in a pass from Brian off of a Danielle Colaprico (Freehold, N.J.) corner kick for her fourth goal of the season and the 14th goal of the year by a Cavalier defender. The assist for Colaprico was her 16th of the season, extending her UVa single-season record. The lead doubled in the 10th minute as a Megan Reid (Orinda, Calif.) cross was redirected by Brian to Ratcliffe, who slotted home her ninth goal of the season. Doniak extended the lead two minutes later as she took a through ball from Brian, cut to the inside and roofed a shot for her team-leading 15th goal of the season.
Reuther scored her first of three goals in the 27th minute as a miss-hit clearance fell right to her in front of the net, where she knocked in the fourth Cavalier goal of the night. She scored again just 40 seconds later as Brian got endline and delivered a cross to the far post for Reuther to tap in. After Brian had scored her seventh goal of the season in the 33rd minute off another poor clearance, Reuther completed her hat trick in the 34th minute, scoring off a through ball from Brian. The Cavaliers took the 7-0 lead into halftime.
Virginia added one goal in the second half. In the 64th minute, Hanway scored her first career goal as she intercepted a clearance at the top of the box and curled a shot inside the far post for the Cavaliers’ eighth, and final, goal of the evening.
The eight goals were the most Virginia has ever scored in an NCAA Tournament game and the most overall since a 9-1 win over Liberty in 2011.
Brian tied the NCAA Tournament single-game record for assists, previously set by Kacey White of North Carolina, who had five assists in a 6-0 win over Pepperdine in 2005. Already Virginia’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA Tournament games, Brian now has nine goals and eight assists for 26 points in her NCAA Tournament career.
Overall, Virginia outshot high point 39-0, tying the school record for shots in a game. The Cavaliers also had a 16-0 corner kick advantage. Sophomores Morgan Stearns (San Antonio, Texas) and Jessie Ferrari (Fairfax, Va.) each played a half in goal to combine on the shutout. Panther keepers Jordan Beets and Alex Persiani combined for 13 saves for high point.
The victory was Virginia’s 30th consecutive home win at Klöckner Stadium, the longest active streak in the nation and the eighth-longest streak in NCAA history.
The Cavaliers will host second and third round play next weekend at Klöckner Stadium. Virginia will play Rutgers in the second round on Friday, Nov. 21. A third round match will be Sunday at Klöckner.
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Chris Graham
