Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech Women?s Soccer team could not fend off Head Coach Kelly Cagle?s alma matter in a hard-fought match last night, but improved drastically from last year?s performance.

Tech fell to the No. 24 Blue Devils, 3-1, in the Hokies first ACC match of the season. With the loss, Tech drops to 4-3-1 overall, and 0-1 in the conference. ?It?s not that I can muster losing, but I can handle a performance like that,? Cagle said. ?I am so proud of them? Everyone came here to be part of the growing process, and it?s not going to happen in the first four years.?

Cagle came to Tech from Duke in 2003. A 1996 graduate, Cagle still holds many records for the soccer program eleven-years-later, including most career points, goals, shots and games started.

In 2004, Duke defeated Tech 9-3. Last season, the Blue Devils out-shot the Hokies 25-0 to shut Tech out 2-0. This year, the Hokies sought and received improvement.

Tech had 12 shots compared to Duke?s 17.

?In the history this is the best we?ve done against Duke,? said sophomore LB Puglisi. ?We?re very happy about it, we had a lot of chances.? Tech started quickly with the chances as freshman Julian Johnson ripped a shot for the Hokies in the seventh minute of play. But Duke?s goalkeeper Allison Lipsher came up with the save and transferred the ball down field.

A quick Blue Devil shot to the left side of the net forced Tech?s senior goalkeeper Mallory Soldner to make a diving save and reflect the ball in the middle. Duke?s Sarah McCabe collected the rebound and placed the ball in the net, giving Duke the one point advantage. Darby Kroyer was credited with the assist.

Tech continued working for an opportunity to even the score. Freshman Robin Chidester stole the ball from a Duke defender for a one-on-one with the keeper, but Lipsher came up with the ball off a dive.

After minutes of back-and-forth play, Duke struck again off a shot from CJ Ludemann. Soldner positioned herself for the save, but at the last second Elisabeth Redmond reflected the ball into the goal, putting the Blue Devils up by two.

With less than four minutes in the first half, the Hokies attacked off a corner. Lipsher bobbled the ball into the middle, allowing for a Tech shot but a defender stopped. The Hokies collected three more rebounds in the sequence for three more shots, but Duke defenders blocked each one. Tech headed into the second half scoreless, down by two.

Duke attacked immediately in the second half off with a crossed ball. The Blue Devil?s cross drew redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Owens out of the cage, leaving the net open. Freshman Kylie Stankovics slid to block the ball.

But the Blue Devils could not be contained. Duke continued the rampage as KayAnne Gummersall broke free from the Hokies defense and chipped the ball over Owens? head to pull the lead to three.

Tech reduced the difference to two with 17 minutes remaining. A long-throw into the box by Johnson allowed sophomore LB Puglisi headed the ball into the goal. The goals marks Puglisi?s fourth of the season and places Johnson at the top of the list for season assists at nine.

The late effort proved futile, but nonetheless important for the team.

?Last year if we had went down 3-0 we never would have scored or pushed like that at the end,? Cagle said.

The Hokies look to build from the loss as the team continues the ACC campaign Sunday against No. 9 Wake Forrest. Tech takes the field at 1 p.m. in the Virginia Tech Soccer Stadium.