BLACKSBURG – In their return to Thompson Field, the Virginia Tech men's soccer team overcame a first-half deficit to defeat Notre Dame 2-1 Friday night.
The Hokies (7-3-2, 1-3-2) had a tough time offensively in the opening period, but had opportunities to get on the board early. The best of those chances came in the 14th minute when Jakob Labovitz latched onto a through ball from Brendan Moyers on a counter attack, but a diving save by the Irish's Duncan Turnball kept the match scoreless.
The Fighting Irish (7-5-1, 1-5) opened the game on the attack in the first half as possession and the pace of play was in their favor. Though Tech's backend was able to hold tough for a large portion of the period, constant pressure by Notre Dame created a chance, which Jake Lynn used to give them the lead in the 34th minute.
The offensive struggles that tech experienced in the first half was nowhere to be seen as Tech came into the second with a renewed energy. Though they were aggressive the Hokies needed a spark in order to turn the tide. That spark came in the 62nd minute courtesy of captain Jon Ingason as the senior scored on a set piece due to a handball in the Irish's area.
Eighteen minutes later, the Hokies again found the back of the net as Daniel Pereira dribbled his away around defenders before finding Labovitz inside the box.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Shots: Virginia Tech 19-7
- Corners: Notre Dame 8-75
- Saves: Notre Dame 8-2
GAME NOTES
- Labovitz and Ingason both sit tied for second on the team with four goals on the season
- All four of Ingason's goals have come on set pieces
- Labovitz recorded a goal for the second-straight match
- The Hokies are now 2-1 when the opponent scores first
UP NEXT
The Hokies continue their homestand with a break in ACC play as they host Longwood on Tuesday, October 23rd. ACC play resumes as No. 1 ranked Virginia comes to Blacksburg for Senior Night on Friday, October 25th.Gallery: (10/18/2019) 2019 MEN'S SOCCER vs. NOTRE DAME