Richmond, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW): The UVA Women’s Soccer Team fought hard for every inch of ground on the pitch in Richmond against VCU yesterday evening, earning all three points thanks to a late goal from forward Maggie Cagle.  The match ended 1-0 in favor of the Hoos, who won their sixth game in a row to begin the year and handed the Rams their fifth loss in a row in fall 2024.   

The first half was frustrating for both offenses.  Neither squad managed more than one shot on target in the first 45 minutes of play, neither goalkeeper was forced to make a save, and perhaps most strange, neither team earned a corner for the entirety of the first half.   

The Hoos re-entered the pitch after the interval renewed and refreshed, starting out with high pressure on the Rams defense, and earned a corner in the 54th minute.  The pressure was unrelenting, shot after shot came from UVA attackers, bending the Rams back line as drastically as they could.  Still, no joy came from any of those opportunities, until the 76th minute.  A bad clearance from the VCU defense gave Maggie Cagle an opportunity to swoop in with a quick steal.  She fired a shot towards the net from 24 yards out and beat VCU keeper Alison Karpovich for the first goal of the game.  Cagle’s fifth goal of the season proved to be the difference maker, as Victoria Safradin and the UVA back line remained untroubled for the remainder of the game to keep another clean sheet.  The whistle blew, and the scoreboard read 1-0 in favor of the Hoos. 

UVA Women’s Soccer will return to Klöckner Stadium this Sunday afternoon.  They will kick off with Howard University at 2:00 PM for the organization’s 2024 Mental Health Awareness Game.   The Bison tied 2-2 with George Washington yesterday evening.