STANFORD, Calif. – A second-half surge from No. 7 Virginia Women’s Soccer proved insufficient as the Cavaliers fell to top-ranked Stanford, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon.Despite a determined comeback, Virginia’s season may not be over.
The Cavaliers now await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday,Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com to learn their seeding and postseason fate. The loss concludes the regular season for Virginia, but an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament remains a strong possibility.
Stanford quickly established control, building a two-goal lead before halftime. Virginia responded after the break, fueled by a goal from Meredith McDermott, her third of the season. The Cavaliers continued to press, narrowing the gap, but ultimately couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
“Congrats to Stanford, they’re a good team,” said Virginia Head Coach Steve Swanson. “I thought we showed our quality in the second half, but [we were] disappointed in the result of the first half. It really put us behind, obviously, but we showed a tremendous amount of heart coming back. We were knocking on the door for the third one. It’s tough to take.”
Swanson acknowledged the need for consistent performance. “We were good for 45 minutes, but at this level and stage of the tournament you have to be good for 90 minutes. Full marks to Stanford, they have a good team.I’m proud of our team and thought they showed a lot of heart in the second half.”
