The third-ranked UVA women’s soccer team clinched a berth in the 2014 ACC Tournament with a 3-1 victory at Duke Thursday night at Koskinen Stadium. The Cavaliers (15-1, 7-1 ACC) rallied from a halftime deficit for a win in Durham for the second consecutive year, while the Blue Devils (7-8-1, 3-4-1 ACC) suffered their second consecutive loss.
Junior Makenzy Doniak (Chino Hills, Calif.) and sophomores Tina Iordanou (Upper Brookville, N.Y.) and Morgan Reuther (Chantilly, Va.) scored for the Cavaliers, while senior Danielle Colaprico (Freehold, N.J.) had two assists.
“It was a really good performance in the second half,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “I think we got all Duke could give in the first half. They are a very strong team and are competitive and have a lot of heart. For us to come back in the second half and score three goals against a team like that says a lot about our character. We weren’t on the front foot in the first half and we didn’t handle their pressure well. In the second half, we really raised our level and that was the difference in the game.”
For the second consecutive game Virginia conceded the first goal as Duke took a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. Toni Payne stole a ball inside the box, made a move and fired a shot into the corner of the net for her sixth goal of the season. The Blue Devils took the 1-0 lead into intermission.
The Cavaliers drew even early in the second half, scoring in the 49th minute. Kaili Torres (Fleming Island, Fla.) played a ball that sent Doniak in on a breakaway. Doniak dribbled around the charging keeper and placed the ball into the net for her team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Virginia took the lead in the 58th minute as Iordanou headed in a corner kick from Danielle Colaprico for her second goal of the season and her second game-winning goal in as many games. Reuther sealed the win in the 88th minute as she collected a pass from Colaprico at the top of the box and fired a shot into the upper corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season. The two assists give Colaprico 13 for the season, which leads the ACC and is one shy of the Virginia single-season record.
It was the second consecutive year that Virginia rallied from behind for a win at Duke. In last year’s game in Durham, the Cavaliers scored three second-half goals to erase a 2-0 halftime deficit.
Overall, Virginia outshot Duke 12-10 and had a 5-4 corner kick edge. Sophomore Morgan Stearns (San Antonio, Texas) made two saves in goal for the Cavaliers, while E.J. Proctor made six saves for the Blue Devils.
Virginia will conclude its three-game road trip Sunday with a visit to No. 14 Virginia Tech. Game time in Blacksburg is 5 p.m.There is one point at stake in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash, the new point rivalry series between University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers currently lead the 2014-15 competition 1.5 to 0 after victories in men’s soccer and volleyball.
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Chris Graham
