Godfrey’s goal enough as No. 2 Cavaliers hold off No. 4 Blue Devils, 1-0

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

For the second time this season, Lia Godfrey hit the game-winning goal to lift the Hoos to victory over a top-five opponent as No. 2 Virginia defeated No. 4 Duke at Koskinen Stadium in Durham on Sunday.

GOALS
28’ – Lia Godfrey (Haley Hopkins)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Virginia (10-1-1, 3-1-0 ACC) struck on a counter in the first half with Alexa Spaanstra applying the pressure for a turnover at midfield. Lia Godfrey collected and played the ball ahead down the right flank to Hopkins and took off on her run down the midfield. As Hopkins approached the six, she sent a centering pass to Godfrey near the spot who finished with the one-touch redirect past the back post for the score.

The score would hold up down the stretch as the Cavaliers picked up the road victory over the Blue Devils, who fell to 8-3-0 overall and 3-1-0 in ACC play.

It’s the fourth game-winning goal of Godfrey’s career and third against a top-10 opponent. Cayla White posted six saves – one off her career high – in posting the clean sheet to help Virginia secure the win.

HIGHLIGHTS | The Hoos went on the road and picked up a win over a top-5 opponent for the second time this season with a 1-0 victory at No. 4 Duke on Sunday.#GoHoos🔶⚔️🔷 | #ALLIN⚽️🔥 pic.twitter.com/EL6jnJNA5B

— Virginia Women’s Soccer (@UVAWomenSoccer) October 2, 2022

NOTES

• Virginia improved to 25-15-9 all-time against the Blue Devils and 4-0-2 in the last six meetings against Duke.
• The Hoos have beaten a top-5 Duke team by a score of 1-0 in consecutive seasons with the win on Sunday. UVA beat then No. 2 Duke by a score of 1-0 in Charlottesville last season.
• Lia Godfrey hit her second game-winning goal of the year – the other at No. 2 North Carolina (9/17/22).
• Godfrey has four game-winners in her career and three against top-10 opponents – vs. No. 9 Santa Clara (9/2/21), at No. 2 North Carolina (9/17/22) and at No. 4 Duke (10/2/22).
• Cayla White improved to 14-1-1 in goal and posted her eighth career shutout. It’s her sixth shutout this year.
• It’s the first time UVA has defeated a pair of top-5 foes in the same season since 2019. That season Virginia posted a pair of wins over No. 5 Florida State.
• Virginia was efficient offensively, taking six shots with two on goal and the one score in the victory.

FROM HEAD COACH STEVE SWANSON

“This was a really good win for our program as we have the utmost respect for Duke, their coaching staff and their team. This is a hard place to play, let alone win, so we are proud of the effort from the team. They played hard, together and intelligently which we needed to do in order to get the result.”

UP NEXT

Virginia returns home for a pair of ACC contests next week, starting things off with an 8 p.m. contest against No. 7 Florida State on Thursday.