“We were much better in the second half. I didn’t think we moved the ball fast enough for the way they were defending with a lot of people behind the ball,” UVA coach Steve Swanson said.
After a stalemate through the first 45 minutes that saw each team record a single shot, Virginia (6-0-0) turned up the pressure in the second half, outshooting VCU (0-5-0) 10-2.
The barrage paid off in the 77th minute on a goal from Cagle. VCU turned away a chance on a free kick but Cagle regained the clearance 24 yards out and immediately fired off her shot from the right side past the penalty arc. The ball hit the crossbar then ricocheted down and in for the score.
Cagle’s goal was her fifth of the season and 17th of her career.
Victoria Safradin posted her fourth shutout of the season with the clean sheet against the Rams, and the ‘Hoos have posted three straight shutouts.
“It was good to see us respond,” Swanson said. “We found some space behind them in the second half and did a good job to get the clean sheet. It’s not an easy place to play and they were very good, organized and hard to break down tonight. Finding a way to win is a good sign for us. We have to get ready for Howard on Sunday and this game helped us in a lot of ways.”
Up next: Virginia returns home to close out non-conference play with Howard on Sunday. Kick is set for 2 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium, and it will be the team’s Mental Health Awareness game.
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Chris Graham
