MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No.12-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team fell to No. 4 Virginia, 1-0, in a hard-fought battle at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown on Sunday.
Despite a nearly identical final box score, the Mountaineers (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Big 12) were unable to overcome UVA's (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) early goal in the seventh minute. Junior goalkeeper Kayza Massey showed off her talent late in the second half to help the WVU defense limit UVA's opportunities, but the West Virginia couldn't find the equalizer on the offensive side of the pitch.
"I thought we came out strong in the second half, but with a team like Virginia, you need to play 90 minutes consistently," WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't pull it together, but I really believe that our midfield was able to adjust well in the second half and did a good job of limiting Virginia's chances."
The Cavaliers struck early, as star forward Diana Ordonez took a high cross from teammate Samar Guidry in the seventh minute to head the ball toward the back post and past Massey's outstretched hand. Forced to play from behind for the majority of the match, the Mountaineers struggled to maintain possession in the first half, with their only shot coming off the boot of sophomore Lilly McCarthy at the 36:23 mark.
West Virginia's attack gained momentum in the second half though, as it created chances in the final third and continued to fight for possession. A pair of Mountaineer defenders tallied shots on target, the first from junior Julianne Vallerand in the 64th minute and the second from classmate Gabrielle Robinson in the 79th, but both opportunities were stopped short by UVA keeper Laurel Ivory.
Massey's impressive effort in the second half helped WVU stay just one goal back though, as she showed off her athleticism to disrupt the Cavalier attack. After getting her hand on a pair of UVA through balls, she also tallied a pair of important saves as the minutes ticked off the clock.
Despite the match's result, the final box score showed a very even contest, with Virginia narrowly edging WVU in shots (4-3), shots on goal (3-2) and corner kicks (6-5). Massey and UVA's Ivory notched a pair of saves apiece, with the biggest difference being Virginia's early goal to seal the win.
The Mountaineers now fall to 4-12-3 all-time against the Cavaliers, including a 3-4-1 mark in matches played in Morgantown.
West Virginia now prepare for its first road contest of the season, as it travels to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to face Bucknell on Friday, Aug. 27. Kickoff from Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium is tabbed for 7 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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August 23, 2021 at 04:45AM
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WVU Comes Up Short Against No. 4 UVA - WVU Athletics
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