NC State women’s soccer and everyone in Dail Soccer Stadium uttered a collective sigh of relief as time expired in the Wolfpack’s clash with Virginia.
The red-and-white secured its first win in nearly two months, all while surviving a second half comeback attempt from the Cavs (5-3-5, 0-3-3 ACC). A strong, two-goal start from the Wolfpack (2-7-5, 1-3-2 ACC) kept the team in front, and NC State had just enough guts to earn a full three points on the ACC table.
“[The win] feels really good,” said head coach Tim Santoro. “I mean, this has been coming. We’ve had some results this year that haven’t gone our way, so I guess the soccer gods were with us today … Any win was needed.”
While it got hairy late in the second half, NC State’s early 2-0 lead proved enough to survive Virginia’s advances. To earn the lead, the Wolfpack was precise and deadly when attacking early on.
On the very first shot of the game, senior forward Jameese Joseph received a pass from junior defender Fernanda Soto and launched a close range shot at goal that ricocheted off a Virginia defender and in for the first NC State score of the day.
The Wolfpack kept its foot on the gas, quickly doubling its lead just six minutes later with a goal from junior midfielder Annika Wohner. After receiving an expertly-placed cross from freshman forward Hannah Jibril, Wohner confidently buried her third goal of the season.
In just 12 minutes, NC State had forged a 2-0 lead — something that it’s been rarely able to do this season. With it, the red-and-white were able to sit back, settle in and consistently deny the Cavs for the rest of the first half.
“One thing we’ve had problems with is that we’re always playing from behind,” Santoro said. “I can’t remember the last time we had a lead in a game, and the game is just different when you’re up.”
Junior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas and the rest of the NC State defense warded off Virginia’s advances for as long as possible. However, the Cavaliers ramped up their attack as the game progressed into the second half. Before long, Virginia was hounding Pratapas and company, firing off contant crosses and shots in the second half.
Eventually, the Cavs broke through with a 63rd minute goal. After a cross into the box, Virginia finally connected on a header, one that rolled past Pratapas with no chance of a save.
With a much smaller margin for error, the Wolfpack continued to desperately defend against a relentless Virginia attack. The Cavs continued to gain quality chances, but were denied by Pratapas, who finished with the crossbar on multiple occasions late in the second half.
Meanwhile, NC State had an occasional offensive chance in the second half, most of which were engineered by Joseph. However, the Cavs dominated possession in the second period, denying the Pack any opportunity to add to its 2-1 lead.
But as time ticked down, NC State found a way to keep the lead and emerge with a victory. Between early goals, diving saves from Pratapas and even a goal-line stop from the Pack’s defense, the home side played a complete game to earn the win.
“I think I think the team really deserved it,” Wohner said. “All the girls work hard every day. So it’s just nice to get a result again — get a [win] for the team.”
With the victory under its belt, NC State will look to capitalize on its momentum in its next match — a showdown with Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
“We got the job done; [I’m] proud of the girls,” Wohner said. “For Miami, we’re going to prepare, going to see what they play and try to get a win there as well.”
Kickoff against the Hurricanes is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14.
