Women's soccer claws back vs. Hokies for first ACC win

At halftime of last night's game against Virginia Tech, the Terrapins women's soccer team found itself in a familiar position in ACC play.

On Thursday night, the No. 6 Terps finished the first 45 minutes of play down 1-0 at No. 14 Virginia. They never got any closer in an eventual 4-1 loss.

Last night, the Terps trailed 1-0 to the Hokies at the halfway point of their ACC home opener, but something was different.

"It wasn't all cotton candy and popcorn and partying in the locker room," coach Brian Pensky said, "but I think there was a lot to feel good about coming out of the first half, while there wasn't a ton to feel good about coming out of the first half at Virginia,"

He had good reason. Instead of falling into a deeper hole, the Terps netted goals in the 55th and 59th minutes to pull back ahead for their first come-from-behind victory of the year, a 2-1 result that marked their first ACC win of the season.

"We came out of the locker room differently this time and just were pressuring them from the whistle and I think that made all the difference," midfielder Olivia Wagner said.

What's more, the Terps did it without sparkplug forward Jasmyne Spencer, who is missing time for rib and head injuries.

"It's huge because we're still missing Jasmyne, whose been a core of this team for a long time," Pensky said. "Here we are, 0-1 in the league, down 1-0 at halftime, pretty bleak. I think it says a ton about the character and the will and the fight of this group. Honestly, it's great to see because out backs were up against the wall a little bit."

The Terps (7-1-2, 1-1-0 ACC) regularly tested Virginia Tech (8-2-0, 0-1-0) goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts, who had not allowed a goal in 316 minutes coming into the game. In the 55th minute, Wagner lined for a free kick from 24 yards out and roped it into the upper left corner after forward Danielle Hubka was fouled.

Four minutes later, Wagner was again in the middle of the scoring, lobbing a corner kick that midfielder Cory Ryan connected with for the game winner.

"We felt one coming because we had the goal right before that," Ryan said of her goal. "I was just in the right place in the right time."

Ryan's goal marked the first time all season that Virginia Tech had trailed, and with an obvious sense of desperation, the Hokies refused to go away down the stretch. In a four-minute span, Virginia Tech had three corner kicks that could have been disastrous for the Terps. At one point in the 83rd minute, a Virginia Tech player intercepted a pass in the box in front of goalkeeper Yewende Balgoun, but shot high and wide.

"You've got to do … all the things you want to right, and then you've got to get lucky," Pensky said. "You've got to get fortunate. It's all about bounces. You've got to take care of yourself and try to put yourself in the best light possible to get a result. Thankfully, those balls just pinged in different directions and they didn't go in the goal."

Wagner pointed toward the team following the same old formula as key to keeping the Hokies off the scoreboard down the stretch and getting the Terps into the ACC's win column. With the difficult schedule that awaits them down the stretch, the Terps will need repeat performances like those from tonight.

"I think we were kind of holding on for dear life at that point, but we stayed together well as a team," she said. "We fought through it and kept the energy high. People were coming off the bench and giving us more energy. I think we just stuck with it really well."

dgallen@umdbk.com