The Hokies opened their 2024 campaign with a dominating 4-0 victory over Campbell on Thursday night at Thompson Field.
“The way the team played, that was most important tonight, to come and play, dictate the tempo, create chances,” Virginia Tech head coach Chugger Adair said after the win. “We created a lot of chances, so I’m happy with that. Thought we played well moving the ball, changing the point of attack, making good decisions in the midfield. … Happy with the result, happy with the shutout, and it’s a good way to start our season.”
Tech (1-0) was on the front foot from the jump, racking up eight shots and four corner kicks in the first 15 minutes. Forward Anna Weir finally broke the deadlock in the 24th minute after midfielder Emma Pelkowski played her in over the top. The sophomore, who had two goals and two assists last season, tapped it over the goalkeeper, ran around her and slotted it home.
“It was a great ball by Emma,” Weir said. “She did a great job getting her head up, and I knew that space was on because it was on the whole game, so when she played that ball, I was just set on going to goal because I knew that goalie was running at me. I was like, if I can just chip it over her, I can slot it in the goal.”
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The Hokies made the Camels (0-1) pay again just before halftime off a set piece. Forward Kendall DiMillio whipped in a corner that fell to Kylie Marschall, who tapped it in for her first career goal in her collegiate debut. The sophomore played alongside junior Maysen Nelson at center back for 85 minutes and allowed just two shots, the first of which came in the 74th minute.
Tech made it 3-0 in the 56th minute from a direct free kick. After Weir was brought down at the top of the box, Natalie Mitchell stepped up and hit a perfect ball that floated over the wall and ricocheted off the left post and in.
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After finishing last year with goals in back-to-back games against Miami and Pitt, the Hokies’ leading goalscorer in 2023 (nine) got on the scoresheet in the opener for the second consecutive season.
Mitchell started in the midfield with Pelkowski and Aino Vuorinen and the trio controlled much of the game. Tech peppered the Camels with 12 first-half chances and eight corners. The final tallies: 22 shots and 17 corner kicks. Mitchell and Weir had five shots apiece while Samantha DeGuzman and Taylor Price each had two, while Vuorinen pulled some crucial strings in the buildup.
“I thought Aino was one of the best players on the pitch tonight,” Adair said. “I thought she played well, made good decisions, found the game, passed well, connected, just settled the game in for us, and she does a really good job with that. We can rely on her to do that, whether she’s playing at the back or in the midfield. We used her in an attacking mid role today, which was a little bit different, but she finds pockets in space and she’s very confident on the ball.”
Tech’s fourth goal came with 47 seconds remaining in the match. Freshman Viv Pope hit Ava Arengo at the top of the six-yard box with a perfect cross, which the sophomore slotted home for her first career goal.
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“Really good decision, good ball from Viviana to find Arengo, who tucked it away really nicely,” Adair said. “Pleased with that. We haven’t gone through rotations, we just kind of put those kids in positions tonight where they could play, where they haven’t always been training, so they did a good job.”
It was the fourth straight year the Hokies opened their season with a win. Their next three games are on the road, beginning with James Madison on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET in Harrisonburg. After trips to Delaware (Aug. 22) and Monmouth (Aug. 25), they’re back home in Blacksburg vs. Loyola (Md.) on Aug. 29.
Hokies’ Starting XI: Hargrove; Skyers, Nelson, Marschall, George; Vuorinen, Mitchell, Pelkowski; Weir, Price, DeGuzman
Box Score: Virginia Tech 4, Campbell 0