WILMINGTON, N.C. – In the first match of the Battle by the Beach, the 16th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies found the back of the net just five minutes in and that was all the scoring in the contest as the Hokies held on for a 1-0 victory over the College of Charleston Friday evening at UNCW Soccer Stadium.
The win improved Tech's overall record to 7-0. It's just the third time in program history the team has won its first seven to start the year (2012 and 2014), while the loss dropped the Cougars to 2-3.
The only goal in the game was scored by Emily Gray just 4:57 into the first half. Off a cross from Kiersten Hening, Gray knocked home, notching her first of the year, the third of her career and her first game winner.
The goal for Gray was the fastest for Tech this season (Molly Feighan, 8:43, vs. Liberty, Aug. 22) and the quickest goal for a Tech player since Murielle Tiernan scored 2:27 into a match against Georgetown (Nov. 21, 2014). For Hening, it was her first assist of 2019 and the second of her career.
Tech goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn made the goal stand, as she registered a pair of saves to pick up her 36th victory as a Hokie and improve her record to 36-0-2 when the team gives her a lead at any point in a match.
The shutout was her fifth of the season and the 27th of her Tech career. The five overall shutouts are tied for the second most in school history through the team's first seven matches, while the two goals allowed are tied for the fewest through the same time frame (2012 and 2017).
Quick Notes:
- This was the fifth meeting all-time against the College of Charleston and the Hokies are now 5-0 all-time, outscoring the Cougars 13-0.
- The Hokies are 5-3 on this date, September 13.
- Under Adair, Tech is 64-4-6 all-time in non-conference regular-season matches.
- Jaylyn Thompson has now started 57 straight matches, McGlynn 48 straight and Jordan Hemmen 45. Former Tech player Candace Cephers was the last player to start more than 55 straight when she started 60 in a row (2013-15).
- McGlynn has played 4,136:43 straight minutes since the last time she was substituted (Aug. 25, 2017 – 44 straight matches).
- Tech has nine players who have scored a goal this season (15 goals total – starters nine, reserves six), while 10 players have tallied at least one assist.
From Coach Adair:
Tech's @CoachChugger postgame. pic.twitter.com/48AFXNmL7h
— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) September 14, 2019
Up Next:
The Hokies will conclude the Battle by the Beach when they take on the host UNCW Seahawks on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Seahawks beat Middle Tennessee State in the nightcap Friday night, 5-1, to improve to 4-2.Gallery: (9/13/2019) 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER at CO. OF CHARLESTON