Collegiate Times

Sophomore forward Jazmine Reeves brings the ball up for an attack in the first half against Elon. She had one assist in the game that ended in a 5-0 victory.

In the few weeks of limbo when students are settling back into college life and worrying about schoolwork, sports seem to be an afterthought.

That, of course, ends when the Hokie football team opens their season.

However, judging from the domination that the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team exerted Sunday against the women of Elon University, the ignorance of other sports may soon come to an end.

The win by the Hokies, making them 4-0 in the season, was a lopsided one, as the final tally was 5-0. But the game did not lack excitement.

The momentum the team carried through most of the game was created early on in the 177th minute when backup goalie, Anna Romeiser, made a gut-wrenching save on a penalty kick by Elon’s Jaclyn Wood.

“It was definitely a game changer … it really set the tone for us,” said midfielder Shannon Mayrose, who contributed a goal and two assists on the offensive end.

Mayrose and the rest of her teammates rallied around Romeiser’s heroic effort and began to dictate the pace of the game from that point on. 

The Hokies allowed only two more shots the rest of the game.

Tech’s offense, lead by Mayrose and Kelly Conheeney, countered with 25 shots of their own.

Conheeney continued her early-season hot streak by contributing two goals deep in the goalie’s box. 

With both of those goals coming in the first half, widening the lead to three goals to none, the Hokies began to get creative.

Tech dominated the possession game during the second half, as the women truly played as a team.

“They were finding good options, working with one another and creating chances,” said head coach, Charles “Chugger” Adair, after the
game.

The women were relentless in their ability to create chances in the second half, as they pushed the ball up the field with their downfield lobs and pinpoint crosses.

The team converted on two of its chances in the second half as Rachel Beaumont and Katie Cramp closed the deal on passes made by freshman Kelsey Loupee. 

The manner in which the goals were scored was just a continuation of a collaboration trend, as 10 of the 15 goals scored this season have come off of assists.

It is evident that the sense of unity with this team extends far beyond the soccer field, as Mayrose admitted when she talked about her early success coming off of back-to-back injury-wracked seasons.

“It’s everything I have ever wished for,” she said. “Everybody has been so supportive in giving me the confidence I need to be successful.”

Certainly Coach Adair does not need to worry about his team not playing together. 

The questions will come along as the season progresses and the team faces the highly competitive ACC teams.

“We’re just trying to get ready for the ACC part of our season, which will be another level for us,” Adair said.

The Hokies will play their next game at home against Campbell Friday. 

The team’s much-maligned ACC schedule does not begin until Sept. 18, when the team travels to College Park to face the Maryland
Terrapins.

Tech definitely has a shot to be very competitive this season, but it remains to be seen how the team will fare in conference play. If the team’s early season success is any indication of how its year will go, the rest of the ACC needs to watch out for the Hokies.

A version of this article appeared in the Aug 30 issue of the Collegiate Times.