Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Senior goalkeeper Kyle Renfro made five saves in the match, but the Navy Midshipmen proved to be too much as the Hokies fell 2-0 at Thompson Field on Tuesday night.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed with the result. I give credit to Navy. They had a good game plan. They scored two good goals. We were flat tonight. Every player was flat all over the field tonight. It’s disappointing when your team is like that,” explained head coach Mike Brizendine.
Both Virginia Tech (3-2-2, 1-0-2 ACC) and Navy (3-3-2, 0-0-0 Patriot League) rattled off 12 shots in the match, but the Hokies held a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks.
The Hokies got off to a slow start. In the 10th minute, Navy’s Jamie Dubyoski got on the end of a through ball and put a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Kyle Renfro to put the Midshipmen up 1-0.
Tech nearly leveled things up in the 26th minute when senior David Clemens ripped a shot from the top of the box and hit the post. Sophomore Kai Marshall picked up the rebound and laid it off to senior Austin Stewart who hit another shot off of the post.
Stewart had another opportunity to level things in the 29th minute. A cross was hit into the box and Stewart slid in for the shot but sent the ball over the net.
The Hokies outshot the Midshipmen 6-3 and led 5-0 in corner kicks in the first half but could not find the game-tying goal and would go into the break trailing 1-0.
The Midshipmen got their second goal in the 53rd minute of the game when a long throw from Jamie Dubyoski found Grant Valenstein in the box. Valenstein hit a shot into the top corner of the net to put Navy up 2-0.
Kai Marshall had a chance to get one back for the Hokies in the 70th minute, but his shot was saved by Midshipmen keeper Gavin Snyder.
The Hokies would continue to push forward, but the Midshipmen would not falter and Tech would fall 2-0.
Tech was shut out for only the second time this season.
“We get an opportunity to regroup and get after it on Friday against a quality Clemson team,” concluded Brizendine.
The Hokies head back into ACC play on Friday night when they take on the Clemson Tigers at Thompson Field at 7 p.m.