Fortune did not favor the IU women’s soccer team on Friday night in Blacksburg, Virginia, as the Hoosiers lost its first match of the Virginia Tech Invitational 3-0 to the No. 18 Virginia Tech.
First half goals from junior midfielder Madi Conyers and sophomore midfielder Kristina Diana had Virginia Tech up 2-0 at halftime. Freshman defender Kelsey Irwin added a third goal from a free kick in the game’s 58th minute to complete the victory for the Hokies.
“Despite the final score I thought we put together a pretty good game performance today,” IU Coach Amy Berbary said. “Coming in and playing the number 18 team in the country, we had nothing to lose.”
The Hoosiers began the match with plenty of youth in their starting lineup. Six freshmen started for IU, and it was a freshman that nearly gave the Hoosiers an early lead in the game.
Freshman midfielder Julia De Angelis, making her first collegiate start, hit the post with a curling shot from the top of the penalty box in the 10th minute of the match. While the effort evaded the outstretched hand of freshman goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, IU was unable to take advantage as a rebound shot from IU was ruled offside.
The Hokies took the lead two minutes later through Conyers, who saw her shot from inside the penalty box go into the net off the far post. Conyers received a pass from sophomore defender Megan Goudy in open space before firing across goal and past freshman goalkeeper Sarah L’Hommedieu.
L’Hommedieu, who entered Friday’s match with 25 saves made this season, had to be alert in the 20th minute to push away a header from Conyers and keep the deficit at one.
But the Virginia Tech lead grew to two goals just one minute after that save from L’Hommedieu. Following a cross into the IU penalty box, Diana volleyed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to double the lead for the home team.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” junior midfielder Kylie Kirk said. “I think we kept a high tempo during the match today and we tried to stick to the game plan as best as possible.”
Virginia Tech easily could have seen its lead become three goals prior to halftime, but sophomore midfielder Anissa Dadkhah and senior forward Murielle Tiernan each had shots hit the post in a first half that saw Virginia Tech outshoot IU 14-7.
The Hoosiers responded well to begin the second half of the match as freshman midfielder Chandra Davidson hit the crossbar with a long distance shot in the 50th minute. Sophomore forward Hanna Johnson found the back of the net for IU, but her header in the 51st minute was ruled offside in what appeared to be a tight call by the assistant referee.
Any chance of a Hoosier comeback was put to rest by Irwin’s free kick goal from nearly 35 yards out that sealed the win for the Hokies.
“Two of Virginia Tech’s three goals came as the result of set pieces,” Berbary said. “We need to be able to tighten up on our set piece defense.”
IU finished the match with 10 shots, the fourth-consecutive match in which IU has registered a double-digit total of shots. The Hoosiers will hope to extend this streak to five consecutive games on Sunday afternoon when they face James Madison in their final match of the Virginia Tech Invitational.
“When we got the ball tonight, we needed to be able to create chances. Which we did,” Berbary said. “We certainly got our chances today.”
