Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – No. 14 Virginia Tech held Furman to two shots while exploding for 16 of their own in a 0-0 deadlock early Tuesday evening.
It is the first time this season where the Hokies did not convert a goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
No. 14 Virginia Tech tested Furman’s defense early as Alvaro Ruiz-Mateos’ (7’) shot drifted just wide then Alex Perez (9’), who received the ball and got a clean look in front of goal, had his shot blocked by the Paladin defense.
Both sides searched for momentum as the first half wore on. Furman recorded their first shot in the 20th minute, sending it just over the crossbar, before hitting one on target in the 23rd minute that Sam Joseph handled comfortably.
Hungry for a goal, VT fired off three shots within the opening eight minutes of the second half. Veteran midfielder Declan Quill tested the Paladin goalkeeper, forcing saves in both the 53rd and 54th minutes. Furman responded by pushing higher, producing a long goal kick that moved Joseph off his line.
The Hokies fired off seven more shots in the half, five of them blocked, including what could have been Ruiz-Mateos’ game winner that deflected off a Furman defender and hit the crossbar, bouncing out as the clock expired.
GAME NOTES
- No. 14 Virginia Tech held the nation’s tenth-best goal scoring team to zero goals in the contest
- Furman, who ranks 26th nationally with 15.8 shots per game, were held to a season-low two
- Tech registered 16 shots against a Paladin squad that only allows 7.6 per contest
- Virginia Tech controlled 68 percent of the match
- 11 of the Hokies 16 shots were fired off in the second half
- Sam Joseph tallied his third shutout of the season and ninth of his career
- Declan Quill recorded a season-high five shots in 73 minutes
- Freshman Dagur Traustason made his first career appearance as a Hokie
UP NEXT
No. 14 Virginia Tech will close out their three-game home stretch on Sunday, September 14, at 6 p.m. when they host Boston College.