BLACKSBURG – In another critical match-up for the Virginia Tech women's soccer team, the Hokies fell behind early and could not complete their comeback effort as the squad dropped a 3-1 decision to the Clemson Tigers on Sunday afternoon in ACC women's soccer action at Thompson Field.
Both clubs came into the match tied for seventh in the ACC standings with 12 points – eight teams make the ACC Championship tournament. Tech's loss, along with Wake Forest and Notre Dame wins, has those three programs now tied for the eighth spot in the standings with 12 points, while NC State is just one point back with 11. Every ACC team will be in action on Thursday night in the final day of the regular season.
The Hokies (8-6-3, 4-5-0 ACC) came out of halftime trailing 2-0, but quickly got on the board just over three minutes after the restart as Emily Gray found the back of the net with her second goal of the season off a pass from Mikayla Mance.
However, Clemson (10-7-0, 5-4 ACC) took back its two-goal lead with a Courtney Jones tally, who scored in front of the net off a rebounded shot in the 62nd minute. The Tigers scoring duo of Miranda Weslake and Mariana Speckmaier each scored their eighth goal of the season in the first half, with Weslake's coming in the 13th minute and Speckmaier getting the game-winner in the 35th minute.
The Hokies outshot Clemson in the second half, 8-4, forcing Sandy MacIver to make six saves overall and had several late chances, including a Karlie Johnson shot that hit the crossbar and a Gray shot that actually knocked MacIver out of the game – the shot hit her square in the head.
Before the match, Tech honored six Hokies as part of Senior Day – Kristina Diana, Heather Timothy, Jen Boyles, Zoe Foxhall, Abby Dolgos and Alia Abu El Hawa.
FROM COACH ADAIR
Hear from @CoachChugger following today's result. pic.twitter.com/rxrMJABCfZ
— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) October 21, 2018
(10/21/2018) 2018 WOMEN'S SOCCER SENIOR DAY
OF NOTE
- This was the 15th all-time meeting between the two programs. Tech stills leads it at 6-5-4.
- This season in Tech matches, the team that scores the first goal is 14-0-1. Today marked the first match of 2018 that saw the Hokies score a goal, but lose (7-1-1).
- Gray's goal gives her eight points this year, which is good for second on the team behind Johnson's 12.
- Mance recorded her third assist of the year, tied for the second most behind Gray (4). It was the fifth of her career and her seventh career point.
- Jaylyn Thompson started her 45th straight match for Tech, the longest consecutive streak on the team, while goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn has the second longest at 36.
- Two Hokies have played all 1,590 minutes of the season: McGlynn and Kelsey Irwin.
- Five Hokies have started all 17 matches this year: the two above, Gray, Jordan Hemmen and Thompson.
UP NEXT
Tech will conclude its regular season at Louisville on Thursday with a 7 p.m. kickoff.