By Jordan Shim-
No. 9 Virginia defeated Louisville women’s soccer 2-1 in their season finale at Lynn Stadium Oct. 27.
U of L finished 7-7-4 (2-5-3 ACC) while Virginia improved to 13-3-2 (6-2-2 ACC). Alison Price’s goal gave the Cards a chance, but goals by Alexis Shaffer and Veronica Latsko handed the Cards their fifth loss in seven games.
“I don’t think anything went wrong,” Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes said. “It’s the top teams in the country. You’re playing No. 6, 7, 9, 10, 14 and 15 (in the ACC). That’s a death wish.”
A win against the Cavaliers would have meant they amassed 12 points, enough to jump to eighth in the ACC standings, therefore qualifying for the conference tournament.
“To play against one of the top teams in the country and need to win is a tough task,” Ferguson-Dayes said. “I thought we played well. And to even still have a chance in the waning minutes of the game to potentially tie the game speaks about our character.”
The game started slowly as the first goal wasn’t until the 33rd minute. The first chance of the match went to Louisville in the 17th minute. A cross sent in by Niamh Nelson sailed over Kaela Dickerman. Brooklynn Rivers was on the back end to slot the ball past Virginia goalkeeper Morgan Stearns, but the linesman had his flag raised for offside.
U of L had trouble with set piece defending all season, and Virginia took advantage of it. After Shaffer sent a cross into the box, the ensuing shot hit a Louisville defender’s arm. Shaffer stepped up to take the spot-kick. Her shot was too fast for Louisville goalkeeper Taylor Bucklin, putting the score at 1-0 at the 33rd minute.
The Cards came close to the equalizer in the 42nd minute. Rivers flicked a cross central where Price headed to the left post, but Stearns’ fingertip save preserved the lead.
Virginia doubled the advantage in the 55th minute. Alissa Gorzak found space on the right flank and ran into the box. She passed to Latsko, who finished from close range.
Louisville scored in the 69th minute. A header by Price from close range beat Stearns, but a Virginia defender was able to clear. The linesman gave the goal to the Cards as the entirety of the ball had crossed the line before the clearance.
The equalizer almost came for the Cards in the 87th minute. Arianna Ferraro curled a cross into the box. The bend allowed Rivers a free shot on goal, but she whiffed on the strike and Stearns was able to fall on top of it. Virginia kept possession in the waning moments of the game to secure the victory.
Despite a disappointing finish, Ferguson-Dayes is proud of her team and is optimistic about the future.
“From day one, I’ve really enjoyed coaching them,” Ferguson-Dayes said. “They’re selfless. They’re coachable. They crave information, so I’ll be shocked if they’re not in the office on Monday wanting to know what we’re doing next.”
Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal
