Five Reasons to Attend: No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. VirginiaFive Reasons to Attend: No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. Virginia
Women's Soccer

Five Reasons to Attend: No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. Virginia

Hokies to wrap up regular season with finale against Cavaliers

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BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech women’s soccer will welcome in-state rival Virginia for a contest this Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. ET. The No. 12 Hokies return home after upsetting No. 7 Notre Dame 2-0 on Oct. 27 and will look to improve their 7-1 home record against the Cavaliers. With spooky holiday promotions and giveaways for those in attendance, fans won’t want to miss the exciting matchup. Here are five reasons to attend women’s soccer this Halloween night.  

  1. Historic Matchup – This Thursday’s Smithfield Commonwealth Clash will be the 26th contest between the two rivals. The Cavaliers, who currently sit at 11-5, will face an 11-3-3 Tech team that is led by goalkeeper Lauren Hargrove and forward Taylor Price. All five of Virginia’s losses have been against ACC opponents whereas the Hokies have only lost one conference matchup. 
  2. Halloween Black Out – Women’s soccer will celebrate Halloween this October with their annual Black Out game. Fans who attend should be sure to wear all black for this festive matchup!
  3. Giveaways – In the spirit of Halloween, Virginia Tech women’s soccer will be giving “Halloweekend” t-shirts to early-arriving fans. Be sure to get to the matchup early to secure your piece of festive Hokie swag while supplies last!

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  4. Concluding the Season – The Hokies will conclude their 2024 regular season campaign with the contest against Virginia on Thursday. During Chugger Adair’s 14th season as head coach, the Hokies have amassed an 11-3-3 record, marking the seventh time in the last 10 seasons that the program has reached 10 or more wins. Be sure to cheer the Hokies on as they push toward the finish line this Thursday. 
  5. Players to Watch – Many members of the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team have had outstanding seasons this fall. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Hargrove has continued to be a stellar defensive presence for the Hokies, including a six-save shutout against a No. 7 Notre Dame offense that had the seventh-best scoring offense in the nation. For her efforts against the Fighting Irish, Hargrove earned her second ACC Defensive Player of the Week accolade, becoming the first Hokie to win the award two times in a season since Mandy Haught in 2019.

On the other side of the pitch, forward Natalie Mitchell has been integral in wins against ranked opponents. The junior recorded two assists in the 3-2 victory against No. 6 Florida State on Oct. 6 and had two shots on goal against No. 7 Notre Dame on Oct. 27. Mitchell now owns 54 starts in 54 appearances in her career. 

Also finding success at the forward position is junior Taylor Price. The Ashburn, Virginia native scored back-to-back game winning goals against No. 6 Florida State and SMU and currently leads the team in goals scored (6) and points (14).