Ordoñez hat trick powers Virginia past Louisville in ACC Quarterfinal

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Sophomore forward Diana Ordoñez (Prosper, Texas) recorded the first hat trick in the ACC Tournament since 2004 to help lift third-seeded and ninth-ranked Virginia (8-2-1) to a 4-1 victory over sixth-seeded Louisville (4-5-0) in quarterfinal action at the ACC Tournament on Tuesday (Nov. 10).

Ordoñez scored the first three goals of the match for the Cavaliers and is only the fifth player in the history of the ACC Tournament to record a hat trick. Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich.) capped the scoring for the Cavaliers with a goal in the 71st minute as the junior recorded a goal and an assist on the night.

The Cavaliers will now face undefeated and top-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals on Friday night (Nov. 13). Kick is set for 8 p.m. on the ACC Network. North Carolina is the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

“We’re really happy to finish our chances tonight,” said Virginia head coach Steve Swanson. “That’s something we haven’t done consistently all year. We have created a lot of chances against teams, but haven’t finished a lot of them. We didn’t know where the space would be (tonight). Louisville is a very good and organized defensive team. They played a high line and I thought our players did a good job of getting into that space. It was our most consistent match of the year.”

Virginia got its first goal in the 20th minute when Spaanstra got in behind the defense on a counter following a turnover by the Cardinals in the Virginia defensive third. Spaanstra took the outlet and raced down the field, leaping over the diving keeper as she came off her line to challenge the play and regained possession as the ball approached the end line. Spaanstra centered for Ordoñez inside the six who cleaned it up at point-blank range for the score.

Ordoñez struck again in the 24th minute, this time cleaning up a shot that was deflected, but not collected, by the Louisville keeper. Rebecca Jarrett (Washington Township, N.J.) made a nifty move to get past her defender and sent a centering pass over the defense to Lia Godfrey (Fleming Island, Fla.). Godfrey knocked the ball down and volleyed it where it was deflected by the Cardinals’ Gabby Kouzelos. The ball fell to the feet of Ordoñez who converted the shot for the 2-0 lead.

Louisville got on the board as the first half came to a close, scoring off a free kick in the 43rd minute. A foul just outside the box set up the kick from straight on frame and Emina Ekic’s lifted her shot over the wall and into the top left corner.

The score sat at 2-1 in favor of the Cavaliers at the break.

Ordoñez put the Cavaliers back out in front by two goals in the 57th minute when she completed the hat trick. Lizzy Sieracki (Acworth, Ga.) played a long ball over the top of the defense and the bounce went Virginia’s way as it skipped ahead past the Louisville defender and on toward the box. Ordoñez picked it up in stride for the one-on-one chance with the keeper and buried her shot low and in past the right post for the 3-1 lead.

Virginia extended the lead with the Spaanstra goal in the 71st minute. Freshman defender Samar Guidry (Plano, Texas) made a nice run, pushing forward and weaving through the defense before sending the ball ahead to Spaanstra alone on the wing. Spaanstra continued her run into the box and slotted the shot home between the keeper and the near post for the 4-1 lead that would hold the rest of the way.