Virginia Region Women's Soccer 2nd and 3rd Round Tournament Breakdowns
The Cavaliers faced a strong challenge from 20th ranked LaSalle but found a way to pull away from the Explorers 4-1. Junior forward Gloria Douglas led Virginia with one goal and two assists. She was aided by Caroline Miller and Kate Norbo tacking on a goal and an assist apiece. Virginia was steady throughout and did not put themselves in a lot of tough spots. LaSalle only had two corner kicks and had just three shots on frame. The Scarlet Knights went on the road and got an early goal as Amy Pietrangelo finished a flick from Cassie Inacio and, from approximately 24 yards out in the 17th minute, put Rutgers ahead with the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win over Colgate. With the way Virginia is rolling offensively, it is going to be a huge challenge for Rutgers. If the Cavaliers strike early like they did against LaSalle, they should be able to force the Scarlet Knights not to play in a defensive shell and steadily pull away in the second half and advance on to the Sweet 16.
#3 Duke vs. Miami (OH)
The Klockner Stadium scoreboard better be fully ready to roll for this match. Both teams have been very explosive all season long in scoring goals and in round one it was no exception. The Blue Devils rolled easily over Loyola of Maryland 6-0, as junior Kaitlyn Kerr recorded a hat trick. The six goals were a record for Duke in an NCAA Tournament contest. The RedHawks went on the road and knocked off Tennessee 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. Kelsey Dinges tied the match with nine seconds left and then junior Kayla Zakrzewski sealed the upset victory five minutes into the overtime session and Miami punched their ticket for a shot at Duke. The Redhawks have scored 59 goals this season and the Blue Devils have tallied 58 goals. The defense that can hold up just enough in this match should advance and that will be the biggest challenge with the neutral field setting of Klockner Stadium.
There are multiple interesting scenarios in this bracket. The two power teams from the ACC, Virginia and Duke, have College Cup caliber personnel. However, Rutgers and Miami Ohio have nothing to lose. I would suspect a third round matchup of either Virginia against Duke or an upset by Miami of Ohio if the Blue Devils overlook the Redhawks. The Sweet 16 matchup should be very high-octane and possibly one of the best matches this year’s round of 16.
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