Tweet

	1	2	OT	2 OT	F
(19) Wake Forest (10-4-1)	1	2	0	0	3
(25) Virginia Tech (8-5-1)	2	1	0	0	3
Thompson Field - 203 Box Score Photo Gallery

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 25 Virginia Tech women’s soccer team battled to a 3-3 tie with the No. 19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Thompson Field. This is the first time the two teams have ever ended a match in a tie and Tech’s first double overtime game at home since 2007. Six different Hokies earned points in the 110-minute clash, while Marisa Park led the Deacons’ offense with three points in the game.

The match began with much volleying at midfield, but just over ten minutes in, Tech (8-5-1, 2-2-1 ACC) was the first to strike. The Hokies came close to taking an early lead when freshman Jazmine Reeves fired from up close and Wake’s keeper Aubrey Bledsoe made a diving save but the loose ball was cleared, only to be served back in and shot again, this time by redshirt-sophomore Amanda Gerhard. The Deacons (10-4-1, 4-1-1 ACC) would escape unharmed but the Tech attack did not slow.

In the 19^th minute, senior Marika Gray inched closer towards Tech’s all-time scoring record of 29 goals when she put away the 26^th goal of her career on a long ball from sophomore Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell served up the lengthy pass from beyond midfield and Gray was able to get a hold of it after Bledsoe missed the kicking save, leaving the net wide open for the tip in. This was the fourth goal of the year for Gray and fifth assists for Mitchell.

The Hokies continued to dominate the ball for the following 20 minutes, outshooting Wake 7-0 in that time period. In the 38^th minute, their reliance paid off when Gerhard scored the first goal of her career to give Tech the 2-0 lead. After a corner kick, senior Jennifer Harvey attempted a header at the far side of the net but missed the shot, which left a loose ball in the swarm for a jumping Gerhard, who was able to get a foot on it and put it in the net.

Just before the halftime break, the Deacons got themselves back in the game when Park stole the ball, dribbled to the top of the 18 and fired at the right side of the net. The ball looked as though it would roll wide right, but instead it caught the right spot on the post and ricocheted back into the goal to make the score 2-1 at the half.

Tech held the statistical edge at the intermission, outshooting Wake 10-3 and taking four corners, compared to Wake’s zero.

The Deacons came out of the break ready to play and evened things up in the 51^st minute, when Katie Stengel put away a pass from Bianca D’Agostino. Just five minute later, they struck again, this time it was Kristen Meier who slipped the ball past Tech’s diving keeper from the middle, left side of the 18 after receiving the ball from Park.

The Hokies did not let Wake’s lead last long and they evened things back up, this time at three apiece, off a short corner play. Sophomore Kelly Conheeney took the corner and got it to a wide-open Julia Goldsworthy, camped out just beyond the 18 on the left side of the field. Goldsworthy served the ball in from there and was able to find Reeves, crashing towards the net. Reeves had most of the Wake defenders’ backs to her so she had a clean look for her second-career goal.

Play became more back-and-forth as the attacking slowed in the remaining minutes of regulation. Wake finished the final 32 minutes outshooting the Hokies just 5-3.

The chippy play that dominated the late minutes of the second half continued into the first overtime period, which only saw one corner kick and one shot, both taken by the Hokies.

Things became a little livelier in the second overtime period and despite Tech taking three corners and Wake not taking any, both teams finished the final ten minutes taking just two shots in the frame and were unable to change the score on any of the attempts.

The Hokies finished the match outshooting the Deacons 21-13, 10-6 on target. Tech also took nine corners in the game while Wake tallied four.

Freshman Dayle Colpitts was in net for the Hokies and finished the match with three saves, while Bledsoe tallied seven saves in the game.

This match was Tech’s first draw since 2008, when the team tied then-No. 25 Miami, 1-1, in Florida, and its first home tie since battling then-No. 19 Clemson to a 1-1 draw in 2007. This was also the first time the Hokies and Deacons have ever been forced to play two overtime periods.

The Hokies will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 17, hosting Duke at 5 p.m. at Thompson Field.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WSoccer).