SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four first-half goals propelled the No. 14/13 Virginia Tech women’s soccer team to a 5-0 victory against Syracuse on Thursday, Oct. 23 at the SU Soccer Stadium. Hokies’ leading scorer Murielle Tiernan and Candace Cephers had two goals apiece.

Syracuse (5-9-3, 2-6-0) controlled the action in the first 11 minutes of the game as Maya Pitts (Montclair, N.J.) and Jackie Firenze (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) each forced Virginia Tech goalkeeper Kaylyn Smith to make a save. Tiernan put the Hokies on the scoreboard in the 13th minute. After taking a pass from Laila Gray on the right side of the box, Tiernan found the left corner of the net to give the Hokies (13-4-0, 4-4-0) a 1-0 advantageOran.

The Orange continued to apply offensive pressure and Stephanie Skilton (Auckland, New Zealand) got off a shot that appeared to be headed to the right side of the goal, but it hit the post as the Hokies held onto the lead. Less than a minute later Tiernan scored her second goal when she took possession in the box and again found the left corner of the net.

The Hokies benefitted from a little bit of luck in the 25th minute when Cephers’ shot hit the left post and ricocheted into the right corner of the net. Shannon Mayrose added a goal in the 37th minute to give Virginia Tech a 4-0 halftime lead.

Syracuse was much more dangerous in the second half but couldn’t take advantage of its possessions. The final goal of the game came on Cephers’ penalty kick with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

“We created more opportunities in this game and I thought we were a little bit more dangerous,” said Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon. “We had four letdowns, four lapses of concentration that cost us. Our players have had three or four great days of practice this week. I’ve been very proud of them. We created more opportunities (in the second half), the combination play was there. Sometimes the final ball was a bit too easy for the goalkeeper to deal with or not quite early enough. Those are small margins but that’s what we’re dealing with right now.”

Virginia Tech recorded 15 shots and six corner kicks, while the Orange posted eight shots and three corner kicks. Freshman goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan (Short Hills, N.J.) recorded five saves, and Smith finished with six.

Syracuse is back in action on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Wake Forest at 1 p.m.

 

AGATE
                                1st          2nd        Final

Syracuse              0              0              0
Virginia Tech      4              1              5

AGATE

12:04     VT           Murielle Tiernan (Laila Gray)

16:25     VT           Murielle Tiernan

24:58     VT           Candace Cephers (Shannon Mayrose)

36:21     VT           Shannon Mayrose

89:34     VT           Candace Cephers

Shots: Virginia Tech 15, Syracuse 8

Corner Kicks: Virginia Tech 6, Syracuse 3

Saves: Syracuse 5 (Courtney Brosnan), Virginia Tech 6 (Kaylyn Smith)

Attendance: 233

 

-- SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: NEW YORK’S COLLEGE TEAM --