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Penn State scored the first goal of a double header at Klockner Stadium less than seven minutes from the initial kick.
From then on, it was all Virginia.
By the time the final whistle blew, five different Cavaliers had found the back of the net, including sophomore Brittany Ratcliffe, who notched her team-leading fourth goal of the season in the 78th minute to round out the scoring. Speaking of Ratcliffe, make sure to check out her Q&A over on VirginiaSports.com.
Junior Morgan Brian (it pains me to think that she's a junior already) tallied the tying goal in the 14th minute on a one-timer from sophomore Makenzy Doniak. Brian was recently called up to the U.S. National Team for their match against Mexico this coming Tuesday. She's one of three college players on the national team roster and luckily for her, the match is close by - just a couple hours up the road in D.C.
Between Brian's tying goal and Ratcliffe's nail-in-the-coffin tally, three other Cavaliers found their way past Nittany Lion goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom. Doniak and senior Kate Norbo followed Brian's goal in the first half to give the Hoos a 3-1 advantage at the break. If you want to see the soccer version of breaking someone's ankles, make sure you watch the video highlights of Norbo's goal. I'm not sure that PSU defender has stopped spinning looking for Norbo. Senior defender Shasta Fisher needed less than two minutes of the second half to extend that lead to 4-1 when she sent the ball sailing inside the far post off a textbook give and go from fellow senior Gloria Douglas.
The Virginia keeper, freshman Morgan Stearns, finished the game with one goal allowed and just two saves. I say "just" not as a slight to her, but as a statement of how infrequently the Nittany Lions got the ball near her. Stearns previously held Santa Clara scoreless in her collegiate debut. On a random note, Stearns's father played football for U.Va. in the late eighties/early nineties.
The Cavaliers return to action on Sunday when they host Richmond at 5pm.