CARY, N.C. – The Virginia Tech women's soccer team was looking to register another upset in the 2018 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, but top seeded North Carolina, the third-ranked team in the nation, scored an early goal and tacked on two in the second half to post a 3-0 win over the Hokies at WakeMed Soccer Park Sunday afternoon.
North Carolina (20-3-1), who was playing in the third round of the NCAA tournament for the 17th time since 2001, got on the board in the eighth minute on a goal from Alex Kimball, her fourth of the season.
Brianna Pinto would help the Tar Heels secure the victory with a goal and assist just eight minutes apart in the second half. Her sixth tally of the season in the 49th minute – a tip-in off a rebounded shot from Kimball – made it 2-0 and Dorian Bailey's fourth of the year at 55:38 of the contest all but put the match away.
Tech (11-8-3) was playing in the third round of the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2014. However, the Hokies only advanced once out of the round of 16 – on Nov. 24, 2013 (in Blacksburg) when they beat No. 9 Santa Clara 3-1 in penalty kicks after the game was scoreless after 110 minutes of played.
The Hokies finished 2018 with a 2-6-1 record against ranked opponents, which included three losses to North Carolina, who was ranked third in each contest.
FROM COACH ADAIR
Postmatch comments from @CoachChugger pic.twitter.com/kC4IH6LZsb
— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) November 18, 2018
(11/18/2018) 2018 WOMEN'S SOCCER NCAA THIRD ROUND
OF NOTE
- This was the 19th overall meeting between the two schools with the Tar Heels leading the series 17-2-0, including winners in nine straight.
- Today marked only the second time Tech faced an opponent three times in the same season – Florida State in 2013.
- All-time in NCAA postseason matches, Tech is now 7-9-0 away from Blacksburg, including a 3-5-0 mark on the road. They are 12-10-1 overall.
- This season in Tech matches, the team that scored the first goal was 19-0-1, while the team that scored first also shut out the opponent 15 times with the Hokies picking up eight of them.
- Jaylyn Thompson started her 50th straight match for Tech, the longest consecutive streak on the team, while Mandy McGlynn has the second longest at 41.
- Two Hokies played every minute of the season (2,056): McGlynn and Kelsey Irwin.
- Tech goalkeeper McGlynn played in the second most ever minutes in a single season for the Hokies behind Dayle Colpitts (2,443 in 2013).
- McGlynn is Tech's first goalkeeper to play every minute of the season since 2004, when Mallory Soldner played all 1,800 minutes in net.
- Five Hokies started all 22 matches this year: the two above, Emily Gray, Jordan Hemmen and Thompson.