August 29, 2014
No. 4 Tech earns third-straight shutout win
Johnson, Cephers provide three goals against Akron
12F
(4) Virginia Tech (3-0-0) 213
Akron (1-2-0) 000
  • FirstEnergy Stadium - 446

AKRON, Ohio - Candace Cephers and Alani Johnson propelled the fourth-ranked Virginia Tech women’s soccer team to their third-straight shutout win on Friday night at Akron.

Cephers started the scoring by notching her second goal off of a corner kick in the last two games, and Johnson put away two goals to bring her freshman season tally to three.

“Getting a shutout and scoring three goals is good,” head coach Chugger Adair said. “Overall a good result. We were able to get a lot of players in, and both our goalkeepers did a good job for us.”

The Tech (3-0) attack got involved early and kept the pressure on the Akron (1-2) defense for nearly the entire first half. In the second minute, a cross from Katie Yensen nearly resulted in a goal, but the Akron defenders beat the Tech forwards to the ball to clear it away.

After 32 minutes of constant Hokie possession, Candace Cephers capitalized on a corner from Kallie Peurifoy to head in her second goal of the year.

Nine minutes later, Alani Johnson scored a goal reminiscent of her score last week against Davidson. After Madi Conyers sent a pass from the right wing to Kelsey Loupee in the middle, Johnson gathered the one-touch pass from Loupee and turned the corner on her defender and buried the shot.

After putting up seven shots and earning two corners early in the second half, Johnson tallied her second goal of the game when Loupee’s corner kick fumbled in front of the goal for Johnson to finish.

“Alani has come in and proven she can score goals,” coach Adair commented. “She has good athleticism and a good nose for goal. I think we’ve been balanced in scoring this season, and that’s most important.”

In three games this season, where Tech has controlled from start to finish, many of the younger Hokies have seen quality minutes, and many have delivered. Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for eight of the 13 goals Tech has scored. Johnson has three goals, Cephers and Bria Dixon have two and Laila Gray has added one.

The next match for Tech is down the road at Ohio State on Sunday at 6 p.m. The game will have livestats and video available online.

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