BLACKSBURG – Locked in a scoreless duel for more than an hour on Saturday night, the Virginia Tech women's soccer team caught a late goal from Karlie Johnson to defeat North Carolina State, 1-0, during both team's ACC-opening match at Thompson Field.
Reveling in her Senior Night – the third of six matches this fall dedicated to honoring one member of Tech's 2021 senior class – Emma Steigerwald won Virginia Tech (7-2-0, 1-0-0 ACC) the challenge that led to Johnson's first goal of the season.
Pressing North Carolina State (4-3-2, 0-1-0 ACC) during the 73rd minute, Steigerwald poked a pass from her tackle to Emily Gray, who countered to the left side of the 18-yard box and fired a low centering pass. Missing the back heels of the charging Allie George, Gray's ball found Johnson wide open for the left-footed tap-in finish on the six-yard line.
Johnson's goal marked the senior's first since Tech's October 2020 win against Miami, snapping a 15-match scoreless stretch.
After an uneventful opening half by both sides, intensity began to rise as Tech and NC State hunted for the go-ahead goal through the rain. The Wolfpack nearly jumped in front twice before the hour mark as Leyah Hall-Robinson hit both the crossbar and the right woodwork on two attempts roughly five minutes apart.
NC State made up attacking ground against the Hokies as the match progressed, despite both teams finishing deadlocked at 10 total attempts with three shots on target apiece.
Alia Skinner made three saves for Tech while keeping her fourth clean sheet of the 2021 season (sixth of her collegiate career).
With the victory, the Hokies have now won seven consecutive matches at Thompson Field, dating back to the 2020-21 campaign. The streak marks Tech's longest since its eight-match home winning streak ended in 2009.
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Virginia Tech will visit No. 2 North Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 23. Kickoff at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill is scheduled for 7 p.m.Gallery: (9-18-2021) WSOC: NC State Match