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Women's Soccer

No. 18 Tech starts ACC action with a 2-0 victory over visiting Hurricanes

BLACKSBURG – In its first ACC contest of the 2019 season, No. 18 Virginia Tech got two goals from Emily Gray and a three-save effort from Mandy McGlynn as the Hokies shut out the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night at Thompson Field to remain perfect on the year.
 
Tech (9-0, 1-0 ACC) has now tied the second-longest win streak to start the season, with the 2012 program, and will travel next to Virginia, who was ranked No. 1 at the start of the week, with a chance to match the school record of 10 straight (2014). Miami fell to 3-3-1 with its ACC-opening loss.
 
In the eighth minute, Grace Sklopan drew a foul just outside the box, setting up a free kick taken by Gray. She fired a shot past Miami's goalkeeper Tyler Speaks to give Tech the early advantage.
 
The Hokies, who kept the pressure on the Hurricanes all night, outshot them 8-1 in the first half and 8-3 in the second, which included a 5-0 edge in corner kicks.
 
Despite the advantage, Miami almost tied the match in the 61st minute as Kristina Fisher snuck into open space and fired a shot at close range on McGlynn. Tech's goalkeeper came up with the stop, one of three on the night for her, and the Hurricanes were held without a shot the rest of the way.
 
Gray put the finishing touch on the game in the 86th minute when she picked up a loose ball in the Miami end of the field, took a couple touches and beat Speaks to the far post for her first career brace and secured her third straight game-winning goal (video below). Of her six career goals, Gray has scored three against the Hurricanes.
 
With her effort, Gray became the first Tech player since Murielle Tiernan to score in three straight matches and record three straight game winners. Tiernan scored in five straight from Sept. 19 through Oct. 8, 2015 with four straight game winners that ended the stretch.
 
For McGlynn, she picked up her 38th victory as a Hokie and improved her record to 38-0-2 when the team gives her a lead at any point in a match. The shutout was her seventh of the season and the 29th of her Tech career, tying the school record for the most in a career (Dayle Colpitts, 2010-13).
 
The seven overall shutouts are also the second most in school history through the team's first nine matches, while the two goals allowed are tied for the fewest through the same time frame (2012).
 
Quick Notes:

  • Tech ended a four-game slide in ACC openers with tonight's victory (5-10-1 overall), but they improved to 4-0 against unranked team's in ACC openers.
  • All-time in ACC home openers, the Hokies are now 8-7-1, but are 5-0-1 against unranked programs.
  • This was the 19th meeting against Miami and the Hokies improved to 11-4-4 all-time and are 8-1-2 in Blacksburg.
  • September 21 has not been kind to Tech, as the program is now just 2-4-1 on the date.
  • Under head coach Chugger Adair, Tech is 73-26-7 as a ranked team and are 61-4-4 against unranked opponents.
  • Jaylyn Thompson has now started 59 straight matches, McGlynn 50 straight and Jordan Hemmen 47. Former Tech player Candace Cephers is the last player to start more than 55 straight when she started 60 in a row (2013-15).
  • McGlynn has played 4,316:43 straight minutes since the last time she was substituted (Aug. 25, 2017 – 46 straight matches).

From Emily Gray:

From Coach Adair:

Gray's second goal:


Up Next:
Tech will be back in action on Thursday when the Hokies take on the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, a 5 p.m. kickoff. It will be the first contest of the 2019-20 Commonwealth Clash, a head-to-head points-based competition within the 22 varsity sports in which Tech and Virginia compete against each other.
 Gallery: (9/21/2019) 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER VS. MIAMI