Mandy McGlynn makes season-high seven saves in 2-0 win for 23rd-ranked HokiesMandy McGlynn makes season-high seven saves in 2-0 win for 23rd-ranked Hokies
Women's Soccer

Mandy McGlynn makes season-high seven saves in 2-0 win for 23rd-ranked Hokies

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn faced 15 shots by the visiting Alabama Crimson Tide, but the Hokies' senior stopped the seven on target and helped 23rd-ranked Tech to a 2-0 victory on Thursday evening in non-conference action at Thompson Field.

The win improved the Hokies overall record to 5-0, just the fifth time the program has won their first five to start the year and the first time since 2014. The shutout marks just the fourth time in school history Tech has posted four shutouts in its first five matches (2017, 2012, 1994) and the third time the team has allowed just one goal through five contests. McGlynn has been in net for all 450 minutes.

The Hokies, who managed just three shots in the first half, took a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute when Mikayla Mance got just enough of the ball on a tackle in front to Nicole Kozlova, who had a one-on-one with the Alabama goalkeeper Alex Plavin.
 
Kozlova put it past Plavin, who was coming out of her net, to score her second of the year, while Mance notched her first assist of the year, the sixth of her career. At the time, she was the team's leader in points with seven.
 
Although they were outshot in the second half 9-4, the Hokies managed to put up an insurance goal in the 56th minute after Kelsey Irwin played a ball to Molly Feighan near the midfield.
 
Feighan made a couple of moves then found Emmalee McCarter on the right side. McCarter outraced a defender to the ball and then beat Plavin to tally her second of the season and pull herself into a tie for the team-lead with Mance at seven points.
 
Despite some quality chances, Alabama (3-2-0) couldn't get a ball past McGlynn, but in the 79th minute had a golden opportunity to cut its deficit in half. However, Riley Mattingly misfired on a penalty kick and the Tech defense did not allow another shot on goal the rest of the way to preserve the shutout.
 
McGlynn picked up her 34th victory as a Hokie and improved her record to 34-0-2 when the team gives her a lead at any point in a match. It was also her 26th career shutout, moving her to within three of the school record.
 
Quick Notes:

  • Tonight's win was the 100th for the Tech women's soccer team at Thompson Field (100-43-19), with 58 of those coming under head coach Chugger Adair.
  • Tech and Alabama are now tied at 1-1 in the all-time series, while the Hokies are 3-0 against the SEC this season, 11-6-2 in program history and 4-1-1 at home.
  • Under Adair, Tech is 62-4-6 all-time in nonconference regular-season matches.
  • The Hokies are 4-2-0 on this date, September 5.
  • Jaylyn Thompson has now started 55 straight matches, McGlynn 46 straight, Jordan Hemmen 43 and Irwin 39.
  • McGlynn has played 3,956:43 straight minutes since the last time she was substituted (Aug. 25, 2017 – 42 straight matches).
  • Tech has eight players who have scored a goal already this season (12 goals total – starters six, reserves six), while nine players have tallied at least one assist.

From Adair:
 


From Kozlova:
 


Up Next:
Tech remains at home and will welcome Yale to Thompson Field for a Sunday contest that starts at Noon – the first ever meeting with an Ivy League school.
 Gallery: (9/5/2019) 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. ALABAMA