Women’s Soccer: Big win on the road for #7 UVA, with 3-2 defeat of #2 North Carolina

Seventh-ranked UVA scored three second-half goals to steal a 3-2 win over second-ranked North Carolina on Saturday at Dorrance Field.

Lia Godfrey hit the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute off a pass from Maggie Cagle to cap a rally that saw the Cavaliers (8-0-1, 1-0-0 ACC) score three goals in 18 minutes to roar back from a 2-0 deficit at the half.

Rebecca Jarrett sparked the rally with a goal in the 54th minute before Alexa Spaanstra hit the equalizer in the 61st minute.

Trailing by two at the half and held without a shot through the first 45 minutes, the Cavaliers came out in the second half looking to chip away and get back into the match. That moment presented itself in the 54th minute when Rebecca Jarrett scored the first of what would be three goals in less than 20 minutes for the visiting team.

The Jarrett goal that sparked the rally came after she cut in along the top of the box from the right side, creating her own opportunity as she dribbled past a pair of defenders and turned for the left-footed shot near the circle. The forward slotted it in back past the near post on the ground.

The ‘Hoos tied it up in the 61st minute when Godfrey’s service off a corner was headed back toward the top of the box by a UNC player. The ball didn’t clear the box and Lacey McCormack headed it back toward goal where Spaanstra finished it with a header of her own flicked in for the equalizer.

Virginia moved in front in the 72nd minute when Maggie Cagle received the ball out wide on the left side and dribbled in toward the box before laying it off to Lia Godfrey near the circle. Godfrey took the strike and slipped it in past the near post for what proved to be the deciding goal.

“Obviously I’m really proud of the team, not just that we got the result, but more because we dug down deep to fight our way back in it, and we played the kind of soccer we needed to in order to create the chances we needed to score,” UVA coach Steve Swanson said. “Anyone that follows the game knows how difficult it is to win at North Carolina – let alone being down by two goals at halftime. They put such pressure on you for 90 minutes; it was good to see us execute the way we did in the second half.”

Virginia will continue to play on the road next week, continuing ACC action at No. 6 Notre Dame in a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday.