CARY, N.C. – The Virginia Tech-Arkansas 2018 NCAA second round women's soccer match was about three minutes shy of being decided by penalty kicks. However, in the second overtime, the Hokies earned their fifth corner of the day and Emily Gray sailed the ball into the box. Jordan Hemmen was able to head the ball toward the far post and into the goal to give Tech a 1-0 victory over the Razorbacks at WakeMed Soccer Park Friday afternoon.
With the victory, Tech (11-7-3) advances into the third round of the NCAA Championship for the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2014. It also improved Tech to 12-9-1 in 10 NCAA postseason appearances and was one of five unseeded programs to make the Sweet 16, which included three schools from the ACC.
Arkansas (14-5-4), who finished tied for third in the SEC and made the league's championship final (losing in PKs), had not lost a game since Oct. 25 and had only been shut out twice the entire season entering the match.
It was Tech goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn that earned the Hokies' clean sheet making a season-high tying nine saves in match, while facing a total of 14 shots, including two in the first overtime. She also faced nine Razorback corner kicks.
Hemmen looked due for Tech, who actually managed five shots on goal in the contest, including one in the first overtime, which hit off the crossbar. Gray also had a scoring chance for Tech with a shot inside the box, but Arkansas goalkeeper Taylor Beitz, who had six saves, made the stop.
It was Hemmen's fourth goal of the season, second most on the team, and the sixth of her career. It was also her team-high tying third game winner this season, the fifth of her career. Gray's assist was her team-leading sixth of the year and is second on the team with 10 points, while Hemmen is now third with eight, and 13 in her career.
FROM COACH ADAIR
On the winning goal - @CoachChugger. pic.twitter.com/r8YB9ThRMT
— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) November 17, 2018
(11/16/2018) 2018 WOMEN'S SOCCER NCAA SECOND ROUND
OF NOTE
- This was the first meeting between the two programs. However, Tech is now 8-6-2 all-time against current SEC opponents.
- All-time in NCAA postseason matches, Tech is 7-8-0 away from Blacksburg, including a 4-4-0 mark on a neutral site.
- The only other time the Hokies registered back-to-back shutouts in the NCAA tournament was 2013, when Dayle Colpitts and Tech registered four straight on its way to the College Cup.
- This season in Tech matches, the team that scores the first goal is 18-0-1, while the team that scores first also has shut out the opponent 14 times with the Hokies picking up eight of them. Tech is 11-1-1 in matches this season when they score.
- The Hokies are now 4-1-2 when they reach the half in a scoreless tie and 4-1-3 when the match is tied at the break.
- McGlynn now has 22 career shutouts (second all-time) and 29 career wins (also second all-time), while her 11 wins are tied for the third most in a single season and her 10 shutouts are second most to Colpitts (11, 2013).
- McGlynn has now played in the second most ever minutes in a single season for the Hokies behind Colpitts (2,443 in 2013)
- Jaylyn Thompson started her 49th straight match for Tech, the longest consecutive streak on the team, while McGlynn has the second longest at 40.
- Two Hokies have played every minute of the season (1,966): McGlynn and Kelsey Irwin.
- Five Hokies have started all 21 matches this year: the two above, Gray, Hemmen and Thompson.
UP NEXT
Tech will face North Carolina on Sunday at Koka Booth Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park with a 1 p.m. kickoff.