UVA Soccer, ranked 11th in the preseason, took control early, had a 3-0 lead at the break, and went on to a 3-1 win over Northwestern in the teams’ 2026 season opener on Wednesday at Klöckner Stadium.
Virginia (1-0-0) got on the board in the seventh minute, off a reset following a corner. The Cavaliers took the clearance and played the ball out wide to Jordyn Hardeman. She sent the ball into the box from 25 yards out on the right. The service hit near the penalty mark, where it was flicked on to Addison Halpern by Gio Canali.
Halpern’s finish put the Hoos on top, 1-0.
Canali doubled the lead in the 21st minute with a little magic, weaving through multiple defenders before slotting a left-footed shot across face of goal as she entered the six from the right side.
The ‘Hoos capped the half with a goal from Aniyah Coller in the 41st minute. Allie Ross served a ball in from distance that Collier headed into the upper right corner as she approached the six to give UVA the 3-0 lead at the half.
Northwestern (0-1-0) got on the board in the final minute following a free kick out wide on the right. Gabby Anderson placed the ball into the six, where Holland Carey slotted in past the near post with a header.
“I thought the performance, especially in the first half, in a lot of ways, was excellent,” UVA coach Steve Swanson said. “We had the tempo of the match. We moved the ball well and scored three very nice goals. Defensively, there were little places we got disorganized, but for the most part we limited their chances. I have a lot of respect for Northwestern. They have a good group coming back from a good season last year and played here two years ago, so they weren’t going to be intimidated on our field. We knew it would be a tough opener, but our players met the moment well.”
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Chris Graham
