Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech women's soccer team will close out its regular season with a match in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Hokies (11-4-2, 3-4-2 ACC) will face Pitt with the hopes of securing a berth in the 2019 ACC Championship, which will start on Sunday with the quarterfinals hosted by the top four seeds in the tournament. The match is currently scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, but due to weather that is expected in the Steel City, the match may get moved to an earlier time. Stay up to date by following VTWS's twitter account.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Thursday, October 31 - 7 PM
Ambrose Urbanic Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
vs. Pitt Panthers (5-9-3, 2-5-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Randy Waldrum (1st season)
Record at school: 9-21-4; career: 408-129-33 (26th season)
Series: Tech leads 4-0-1; Last: Sept. 30, 2018 (W, 2-0)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Broadcast: ACC Network Extra; Link: CLICK HERE
Pitt Preview/Game notes: Link (when available)
Top Notes for the Hokies (link to Game Notes pdf packet)
Hokies battling for ACC postseason berth
- With just one regular season match left for all 14 ACC teams (Thursday), a number of scenarios exist for Tech to finish as high as sixth in the league standings to a tie for eighth, but falling out of the ACC tournament (down to 10th) due to tiebreakers.
- The Hokies are looking to qualify for its second straight ACC postseason tournament with a victory and some help, while also building a stronger resume for its NCAA postseason seeding.
- Tech was ranked ninth in the latest NCAA RPI release, thanks in part to playing the seventh strongest schedule overall and the 36th toughest slate out of conference.
- The Hokies have the seventh-most wins over the RPI Top 100 (8) and are one of 13 teams in the nation with 10-plus wins over the RPI Top 150.
Double figures in wins reached, looking to match in shutouts
- Prior to 2008, Tech reached the 10-win plateau just once (2004, 11) and since has posted at least 10 victories in a season 11 times, including a nine-year stretch from 2008-16.
- Head coach Chugger Adair has now won at least 10 matches in eight of his nine season at Tech. The only year was 2017, when the team won seven, the fewest victories since 2006.
- The Hokies have nine shutouts this year marking the eighth time the team has recorded at least nine clean sheets in a single season. Just five times the team has reached double figures (2011-14, 2018).
- The nine shutouts were tied for the most 15 matches into a season (2012 & 2014), but through 17 is now third (11, 2012; 10, 2014).
- The 14 goals allowed surrendered by Tech this season so far are the third fewest 17 matches in (11, 2014; 12, 2014 & 2014).
Irwin notches second career brace
- Trailing 1-0 with just 15 minutes left against Boston College (Oct. 24), Kelsey Irwin turned the deficit into a 2-1 victory with two goals in a span of eight minutes (75:28 and 83:22) both on free kicks.
- Her first one, from about 22 yards out to the left side of the goal, was shot over the wall and into the near post to tie the match. Her second, from about 30 yards out on the right side of goal was sent to the far post, in almost the exact same spot, giving Tech the lead with 6:38 left on the clock.
- For Irwin, it was her second and third goals of the season and gave her eight for her career.
- She also recorded her second career brace, as she scored twice last year at Villanova (Sept. 7).
- Candace Cephers was the last Hokie to tally a pair of goals faster - vs. Mississippi State (Aug. 21, 2016) just 47 seconds apart. The first was a penalty kick at 88:18, the second was a header off (ironically) an Irwin free kick (89:05).
- Murielle Tiernan was the last Hokie to score a pair of goals faster in an ACC match, at Syracuse (Oct. 23, 2014) 4:21 apart (12:04 and 16:25).
McGlynn school record for career shutouts
- Behind a seven-save performance against No. 10 Duke (Oct. 6), Tech's Mandy McGlynn posted the 30th shutout of her Tech career breaking the school record in the process.
- McGlynn, who has cemented her place among Tech's all-time goalkeepers, needed to make four saves in the final 10 minutes of action to preserve the shutout. Her eighth shutout of the season broke the career mark, which she had shared at 29 with Dayle Colpitts (2010-13) entering the match.
- Against Wake Forest (Oct. 18), McGlynn posted her ninth clean sheet of the year and increased her career school record to 31.