The Virginia women’s soccer team finished its first ranked game on a high note Thursday, as the Cavaliers (3-0, 0-0 ACC) came from behind to defeat Penn State (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) by a final score of 2-1 at University Park. Although Virginia started the game slowly, they showed impressive determination in the second half to secure the win.

The Nittany Lions were clearly the dominant force in the first half, putting up 11 shots on goal to the Cavaliers’ two. Penn State scored first in the 15th minute when veteran midfielder Olivia Damico burst forward from her position on the right wing and sent in a high cross. The ball took an unfortunate bounce, slid past the Virginia defender and landed perfectly in front of veteran striker Kaitlyn Macbean, who coolly slotted the ball into the net on the left side.

Penn State wasn’t done dominating the first half, however, and nearly took a two-goal lead just minutes later when midfielder Jordan Fusco fired a shot from outside the box that narrowly missed. Sophomore goalkeeper Victoria Safradin was called upon to step in again for the Cavaliers soon after, making a diving save with 17:57 left in the half. Impressive goaltending and missed chances from Penn State kept the game close, and Virginia was relieved to only be down 1-0 at halftime.

The Cavaliers entered the second half with renewed vigor and eager to fight back. In the 54th minute, a long ball over the top fell to junior forward Maggie Cagle, and she was able to expertly sprint past two converging defenders and slide the ball past the Nittany Lions’ goalie for the equalizer. The impressive shot gave Virginia the confidence they had seemingly lost in the first half.

Another chance came for the Cavaliers shortly afterward when Cagle made a pass to sophomore Allie Ross on the wing. Ross feinted the defender and fired a powerful shot, but the angle got too tight and the Penn State goalkeeper made a great reaction save.

It didn’t take long for Virginia to find the back of the net, however. After a beautiful long ball through the middle to onrushing junior forward Meredith McDermott, she tried to capitalize but was brought down in the box. No foul was initially called – much to the chagrin of Cavaliers players and fans – but after reviewing the penalty, the referee awarded a penalty. Cagle made no mistake at the penalty spot, slamming the ball into the top left corner of the net. With the penalty, the team, selected as an All-ACC selection last season, now has three goals in three games.

The Nittany Lions were not completely out of the game. With just 11 minutes left to play, Virginia’s defense was completely defenseless when Macbean surprisingly “feigned” the pass and passed it to the better positioned Fusco. Fusco showed some impressive moves and smashed a shot at the Cavaliers’ goal from just outside the five-yard box. Fortunately for Virginia, it was Safradin who parried the ball from close range. After the save, the Cavaliers held firm in defense and brought their victory home.

Virginia’s performance in the first and second half was like night and day, and coach Steve Swanson admitted that the first half performance was not optimal for the Cavaliers’ chances of winning against such a strong Penn State team.

“Obviously we were all disappointed with our performance in the first half, but you have to give the team all the credit for stepping up the level in the second half and getting the win,” Swanson said. “This has always been a challenging pitch for us and tonight was no different.”

Virginia’s win showed their strengths and weaknesses as a team. The strong offensive play of Cagle, McDermott and Ross will continue to produce goals and keep the Cavaliers in the game, but the defense will have to avoid mistakes for this team to go far. Questions about Safradin’s first year as a goalie were put to rest, as she made a career-high six saves and outright saved the game for Virginia at some points in the game. If the Cavaliers can iron out their defensive mistakes, the No. 3 Nittany Lions won’t be the only ranked team to beat Virginia this year.

The Cavaliers are up next when they face Utah Valley at home at Klöckner Stadium on Sunday. Kickoff is set for noon and will be broadcast live on ACCNX.