BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will look to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time in program history on Sunday afternoon, as the No. 4 Hokies play host to No. 9 Santa Clara in the third round of the NCAA Tournament at 1 p.m.
On Friday night, Virginia Tech took down No. 12 West Virginia in a hard-fought 1-0 victory to move the Hokies into the Sweet 16 for the third time in five seasons. Freshman Murielle Tiernan scored the lone goal of the match in the 60th minute, volleying home a cross from senior Taylor Antolino.
With the second-round win, the Hokies are now 18-4-2 on the year, having set a new program record for victories in a single season. Tech has also scored 50 goals this year, making it the highest-scoring Hokie offense in school history, breaking last season’s record of 45 goals.
Tiernan’s goal on Friday evening gives her 10 this year, tied for most on the team with senior Jazmine Reeves. Sophomore Ashley Meier sits just behind them with eight goals. Junior Kelsey Loupee has nine assists to pace the Hokies.
Senior Dayle Colpitts has continued her stellar career this year, recording 63 saves en route to a 0.71 goals-against-average.
Santa Clara enters Sunday’s third round with a 16-4-1 record, after downing California and No. 25 Boston University, both by 2-1 margins, on its way to the Sweet 16. The Broncos went 8-1 in West Coast Conference play this season to claim a share of its 10th WCC Championship.
The Broncos boast one of the nation’s top offenses, as Santa Clara has scored 61 goals in its 21 matches. Sofia Huerta and Morgan Marlborough have both scored 15 goals thus far, tied for the team lead, while Julie Johnston is just behind them with 12. Huerta and Johnston each have eight assists this year.
Andi Tostanoski has seen the majority of time in goal for the Broncos this season, tallying 92 saves and owning a 1.19 goals-against-average.
The Hokies and Broncos have met just once before, a 3-1 Santa Clara victory during the 2005 season. The match was played in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the Wake Forest Invitational.
Sunday’s contest will be streamed live on ESPN3 and live stats will be available. Complete information can be found at hokiesports.com/wsoccer/2013ncaa.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WSoccer).