On a weekend when the Virginia football team saw the last shred of a competitive season unravel, the women’s soccer team was in similar peril. Huffing and puffing across the pitch for most of 90 minutes, the Hoos looked like a shadow of their former selves, regardless of whether you look just at this year or the standards set over the past decade. Virginia Tech, a decidedly mid-table team this season, as well as ACC program, actually out-possessed Virginia in the first half, and for the game, had three of the four best chances to score.
Anyone reading this far knows the score of the game by now, and that fourth chance did fall to Sophia Bradley in the 85th minute as she finished off a lovely Ella Carter dart to the end line and cross for the win. It was a backbreaking way to lose a game, but since it is Virginia Tech we’re talking about, that makes the cruelty even sweeter.
The strike from Sophia Bradley to lock up the win at Virginia Tech.#GoHoos | pic.twitter.com/NrWIh2va6B
— Virginia Women’s Soccer (@UVAWomenSoccer) October 17, 2026
Because make no mistake, Virginia was lucky to escape with the win.
For about the fourth or fifth time this season, Virginia just looked “off.” Continuing a season-long trend, the Cavaliers just turn the ball over way too many times to be considered a good team. And I’m not talking about losing contested balls or getting pressed, which Virginia is susceptible to. No, I’m talking about the inexplicable unforced errors that plague this iteration of the team. Balls struck out to wide players that are a good five yards off target and roll out of bounds. (I counted four of those in one ten-minute stretch late in the first half.) Similarly, a half dozen passes when the Cavs were trying to advance the ball up band-by-band, where teammates were missed by five yards. Five or six Gio Canali back flicks that were easy turnovers. Too many passes to count where Hoos hit their teammates on their back foot. It was one sloppy pass after another…