BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's soccer team dominated play for 45 minutes against Wake Forest Friday night at Thompson Field, but its ACC contest with the Demon Deacons was knotted at 0-0 at the break.
Just 15 minutes after the intermission, though, Molly Feighan found Grace Sklopan at the top of the box and her left-footed strike beat Wake goalkeeper Meghan Kennedy and then Tech would hold on for the much-needed 1-0 victory.
Tech (10-3-2, 2-3-2 ACC) had been winless in five matches since it raced out to a 9-0 start to open the season. The Hokies had faced four straight top 10 opponents and then NC State last Saturday and went 0-3-2 in the stretch.
With the win, Tech reached the 10-win plateau for the second straight year and the 12th time in program history and now has eight points in ACC play, which puts them currently seventh in the league standings.
The shutout was the team's ninth of the year, all by goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, and it marks just the eighth time the team has recorded at least nine clean sheets in a single season. The nine shutouts are also tied for the most through 15 matches in school history (2012 and 2014).
In the second half, Wake Forest (5-6-4, 0-4-3 ACC) managed five shots, had three corners and several free kicks within 30 yards of the net as the Demon Deacons looked to get the equalizer.
McGlynn would make two saves in the match, including one in the 66th minute off a free kick from Sofia Rossi. Tech also faced a free kick by Rossi from about 26 yards out with five seconds left in the match. Her shot went high of the net and then time expired.
For Sklopan, she notched her first collegiate goal with the game winner, becoming the 11th Hokie this season to find the back of the net and the sixth with a game winner. Those numbers are the most since the 2014 season, when Tech had 14 players with a goal and seven who had a game winner.
Quick Notes:
- This was the 17th meeting between the two schools, and Tech now leads the series at 8-6-3, while the Hokies are 7-1-3 in the last 11 matchups.
- Jaylyn Thompson has now started 65 straight matches, the most since Kelsey Mitchell (2009-12) started all 88 games of her Tech career.
- McGlynn is now at 55 straight and Emmalee McCarter owns the third longest streak at 34.
- McGlynn has played 4,895:20 straight minutes since the last time she was substituted (Aug. 25, 2017 – 52 straight matches).
- McGlynn improves on her school record, notching her 31st career shutout, while she also won her 39th career match.
- Feighan registered her team-high tying fourth assist of the year with the helper giving her 10 points for the year.
- Feighan is the first Hokie since Ashley Meier to have at least four assists to go along with three goals – Meier had five assists and six goals in 2015.
From Coach Adair:
After the game, @CoachChugger spoke about the team's win. pic.twitter.com/c5gn5BIfd9
— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) October 19, 2019
Up Next:
Tech returns to Thompson Field for its final home regular-season match on Thursday when Boston College comes to Blacksburg. Kickoff for the game is set for 7 p.m.
Gallery: (10/18/2019) 2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. WAKE FOREST