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Women's Soccer

On Senior Day, senior Allyson Brown scores the game winner

BLACKSBURG – Before its final home match of the 2020 season, the Virginia Tech women's soccer team honored five seniors pregame and then it was senior Allyson Brown who scored the game winner as the Hokies defeated Navy 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action at Thompson Field.
 
In the first ever meeting between the two programs, the Hokies got on the board first in the 22nd minute, as Emily Gray took a pass from Tori Powell and then dished it right back with a through ball. Powell took a touch at the 18 and then beat Navy goalkeeper Mattie Gallagher with a shot from eight yards out to make it 1-0. For Powell, it was her team-leading third tally of the year.
 
Twenty minutes later, it was Gray again contributing offensively. This time, she took a pass from Taylor Bryan at the top of the 18 dribbled once and shot from 12 yards out. It was blocked away by Gallagher, but the rebound went right to Brown who buried it in the back of the net to give Tech the 2-0 lead. With the goal, Brown tied Powell for the team-lead and marked the eighth of her career.
 
For Gray, the two assists in the match give her a team-best seven this year and ties her for the seventh-most ever recorded in a single season at the school, done seven other times and last accomplished by Jordan Coburn (2015). She now has 15 career assists which is good for seventh on Tech's all-time career list and two behind Erin Moore (2004-07) for the sixth spot.
 
Navy (0-3-0) responded just before the break, as Jenna Daunt raced down a Carolyn Mang pass and then beat Tech goalkeeper Alia Skinner to cut the Mids deficit in half at 2-1.
 
Tech outshot Navy by a 10-2 count in the second half, but could not get an insurance goal to put some room between the teams. However, the Hokies defense limited the Mids to just one shot on goal, with Skinner making the only save needed to preserve the win.
 
With the victory, Tech improved to 3-7-0 on the season and ended 2020 with a 3-3-0 mark at home.
 
Additional Notes

  • The five seniors honors pregame were Alexa Anderson, Caroline Cipolla, Alice Hamel, Kara Henderson and Brown.
  • Emmalee McCarter has started 49 straight matches for the Hokies, the longest active streak on the team.
  • Only five Hokies have started all 10 matches this season, Grace Sklopan, Makenzie Graham, Emma Steigerwald, McCarter and Gray.
  • Gray leads the team with nine points and has 29 in her Tech career.
  • Under head coach Chugger Adair, Tech is 66-7-6 in nonconference matches.

Coach's Comments


Up Next
The Hokies return to action this upcoming week with their final two ACC matches of the year, first taking on Wake Forest on Thursday night at 7 p.m. before closing out the regular season at Boston College, with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.Gallery: (10-24-2020) 2020 WOMEN'S SOCCER vs. NAVY