Virginia Tech Women's Soccer: Hokies Comeback Cut Short by Clock Against No. 9 Duke Blue Devils

Tech is still looking for its first home victory since August 21, against Clemson.

Taylor Lewin flexes in front of her teammates. | Virginia Tech Athletics.

On Saturday, the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils challenged the Virginia Tech Hokies in a matchup that produced two wildly different halves of action, with a final score of 3-2 in favor of Duke.

FINAL: Hokies 2, No. 9 Blue Devils 3#Hokies pic.twitter.com/4iKITewiZQ

— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) October 19, 2025

Both the Hokies (4-9-3, 0-7-1 ACC) and Duke (9-3-1, 4-3-0) looked to be aggressive in the first half to find the early go-ahead goal.

"We created a ton of chances and I think our front runners were dangerous," said Hokies head coach Charles "Chugger" Adair. "Our team was offensive-minded and we created chances."

One of the four starting freshmen, midfielder Peyton May used her stature to obtain possession early into the contest over the Blue Devils, sending Tech's Anna Weir, who leads the Hokies in shots on goal, barreling down the right side of the pitch.

The push from Weir resulted in a flurry of shots from her over eight minutes, with crosses sent over from both forwards Hannah Pachan and Natalie Mitchell.

"We didn't put the ball in the back of the net," said Adair. "I think in the first half, where we had three, four really good chances, so disappointed in that."

This was the most solidified that the Tech offense set itself up for the rest of the first half, with the attacks equalizing out between the sides after the looks inside Duke's box.

Both keepers -- Tech's Lauren Hargrove and Duke's Caroline Dysart -- tallied multiple saves through the first 45 minutes of play.

The counterattacks were vital looks for both sides, using quick tackles near midfield to surge long balls soaring over the defense. Both Hargrove and Dysart had different looks, with the Hokies looking for the assisted finish and Duke searching for the crafty one-on-one goal.

"They've got good players, good on the ball, attacking-minded," said Adair. "They've got a few different personalities, which is good for them, and they're a good team."

As the clock ticked down towards four zeros in the first half, Dysart tallied two more saves in a minute, off a Tech attack that left both forwards Ella Valente and Samantha DeGuzman unable to connect with their looks.

The Blue Devils emerged from halftime with a new game plan, knowing that an eight-save first half would inevitably bend, allowing the Hokies on the board; so Duke controlled the possession.

"They were pressing us, and [we] allowed them to press a few times when we could have played more direct, but we tried to overplay in some moments," Adair said. "That changed the tone and tempo of the game."

The slowed-down, methodical approach paid off for the Blue Devils, who found two goals within two minutes. The opening score in Blacksburg saw junior forward Mia Minestrella work her way into the box and fire a rocket directly at Hargrove, who returned it straight back. Minestrella corralled and fired again, finding the back of the net to put the Blue Devils ahead, 1-0.

Dysart, from her own box, then escalated the attack that led to the first insurance run. A deep goal kick towards midfield was headed backwards by Minestrella, into the stride of Julia Saunicheva, who never floundered the one-on-one look.

Even up two, the strategy remained the same for Duke: to control the pace of the second half, minimizing the Hokies' counterattack chances.

In the 71st minute, midfielder Mia Oliaro had possession near Tech's corner as she sent a looping cross in, hoping for a connection. Oliaro found her 5-foot-6 forward, Avery Oder, who soared up for a challenge in the air, resulting in a header goal for Oder, which was the last time that the Blue Devils scored.

Tech attempted to surge and at least level the contest after the three-goal deficit emerged. Looking for any form of attack, the Hokies started desperately sending deep passes into Duke's defense.

This worked in Tech's favor, allowing the overhead pass to be contested by both freshman defender Daya King and DeGuzman. DeGuzman, barely exiting with control, limped the ball up to the Hokies' leading scorer, Mitchell, who slammed the ball into the top of the cage from inside the penalty arc.

Natalie Mitchell with a strike for her seventh goal of the season!! 🚀#Hokies pic.twitter.com/9aFb7Wpxml

— Virginia Tech Women's Soccer (@HokiesWSoccer) October 19, 2025

Now that the Hokies had finally gotten a goal past Dysart in eight shots on goal, Tech pounced on the opportunity for another. The bookend shot taker for the Hokies, Weir, finally got her look to find netting.

Pachan flew the ball cross-pitch into the box for Price, who headed the look perfectly in the path of Weir, who, herself, leaned her head forward, connecting to finish off the goal.

With just three minutes remaining after the goal from Weir, Duke was able to retain possession mostly and dwindle out the remaining time on the clock.

The Hokies will stay in Blacksburg for their next match, hosting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday, October 23, at 8 p.m. Coverage will be available on ESPN and the ACC Network.