Sophia Bradley picked the perfect moment to finish the job for No. 18 Virginia.
With the game stuck in a stalemate for 85 minutes, Bradley chipped in the winner from six yards out in the 86th minute on Friday night, sending the Cavaliers past Virginia Tech, 1-0, in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash matchup.
The decisive sequence started when Virginia worked the ball to Ella Carter on the left side of the box. Carter carried it toward the end line, cut back, and slipped a pass into Bradley, who lifted the shot up and in from the top of the six.
For most of the night, though, neither side could find the breakthrough. The two teams traded chances over the first 85 minutes, and both were denied at times by the woodwork in a game that stayed tight throughout.
Virginia improved to 8-3-2 overall and 4-3-0 in ACC play with the win. Virginia Tech fell to 6-4-4 and 2-3-1.
The result also gave Virginia a point in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, leaving the overall score tied 1.5 to 1.5 after the match. The Cavaliers also moved to 26-4-2 in the all-time series against the Hokies.
Bradley’s finish marked her second straight game-winner, after she also scored the decisive goal at SMU.
Head coach Steve Swanson said, “It was great to see us win the game and get three points in the ACC. This is a tough place to play; any place in the ACC is a tough place to play, but this in particular because it’s a rivalry game.
We weren’t as sharp as we normally are and didn’t have many shots on frame. Defensively, we held.
It became a transition game for a bit there which is to their advantage. We bent, but we didn’t break and got the goal at the end.
I’m proud of the team. We showed a lot of resilience and grit.”
Virginia is back home next week for Clemson on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.
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