The No. 1 UVA women’s soccer team (14-0-3, 6-0-3 ACC) remained one of two unbeaten teams in the nation thanks to a 6-1 victory over Boston College (8-7-2, 1-7-1 ACC) on Sunday at Klöckner Stadium.
The six goals is the most in ACC play this season by the Cavaliers and third-most scored this season by Virginia as five different players found the net on the afternoon.
Sophomore forward Ashlynn Serepca (Cornelius, N.C.) turned in a brace off the bench, including what proved to be the game-winning goal with a nifty redirect late in the first half. Senior forward Meghan McCool (Glenside, Pa.) also scored for the 13th time this season and for the fourth consecutive match as she moved into a tie with Diana Ordonez for the team lead in goals scored.
The goal by Boston College was the first scored from the run of play against the Cavaliers this season and snapped a streak of 775:01 minutes without allowing a goal by junior keeper Laurel Ivory (Surfside, Fla.) dating back to the conference opener at Wake Forest (Sept. 20). The streak was the second longest without conceding a goal in program history by a keeper. It was only the fourth goal allowed by Ivory this season.
“It was a good result for us,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “We scored some quality goals and the score was certainly not indicative of the game. Boston College has some good attacking personalities and we knew it was going to be a challenge for us. Our depth really gave us some good minutes and both of our goalkeepers made some outstanding saves.”
Virginia struck in the 14th minute as the persistent Virginia offense stayed with the play following a corner kick. Zoe Morse (East Lansing, Mich.) played a header off the corner that was deflected by the Boston College keeper, but the Eagles were unable to clear it as Morse regained the ball outside the top right corner of the box. The senior defender took her shot that was again deflected by the keeper, but bounced to McCool on a run inside the six for the finish at the back post.
The Cavaliers found the net for a second time right before the half when Serepca slipped one in at the 42nd minute. Virginia played the ball out wide to the left side of the field where Courtney Petersen (Canton, Mich.) played the ball ahead to Sydney Zandi (West Chester, Pa.). Zandi sent the one-touch pass back out wide to Alissa Gorzak (Naperville, Ill.) on a run down the touch line. Gorzak cut in and danced around a defender before sending the ball into Serepca outside the six. The sophomore forward redirected the pass in past the back post for the 2-0 lead.
Serepca notched her second goal of the day in the 58th minute, sending the ball in past the far post on an empty net as the Boston College keeper came off her line, but didn’t collect the ball.
Zandi’s goal in the 62nd minute pushed the home team out to a 4-0 lead. The junior midfielder played a ball into the box to McCool who dribbled out wide in the box and took a shot from a tough angle down the line. The ball was deflected out by the keeper and bounced right to Zandi who had continued her run into the box and she finished off the scoring opportunity with a volley from the top of the six.
Boston College scored in the 68th minute when Gaby Carreiro brought the ball down the left side and cut in parallel to the box. The Eagle midfielder struck from distance, bending the shot into the upper 90 past the far post to get the visiting team on the board.
Virginia would add two more goals as freshman Emma Dawson (Richardson, Texas) factored into both of them. The freshman found Petersen in the 77th minute sending a ball in on a run down the left side of the box. Petersen’s shot went through the legs of the keeper and in for the 5-0 lead. Dawson then added her first collegiate goal two minutes later off a pass from Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich.) for the final 6-1 margin of victory.
Virginia will return to action on Thursday night (Oct. 31), traveling to face Syracuse in a 7 p.m. match to close out the regular season.
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Chris Graham
