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T
he Virginia Tech women’s soccer team’s 2015 season ended in the most painful of ways.
The Hokies lost 1-0 to Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, falling
when the Buckeyes scored on a deflection off a Tech player in the 78th minute. Making
matters worse, the Hokies dominated the action, launching 20 shots compared to Ohio State’s
five, but Tech never got a ball in the net.
Days before heading into the first practice of the 2016 season, head coach Chugger Adair was
still thinking about that November day.
“I think about things we could have done differently to prepare,” he said. “We played fine on
the day, but we didn’t have the killer instinct to put the game away. We out-shot them 20-5. We
were trying to be patient because they defended. They had a good game plan to sit in and make
it difficult on us.
“We just didn’t do enough and have enough in the attack to change the game. We didn’t have
enough passion to win the match.”
That game marked the final one for a five-member senior class that included two of the
best players in program history in Ashley Meier and Jordan Coburn. Meier earned All-ACC
recognition all four years of her career, while Coburn made the team three straight seasons.
As a group, those five—which also included steady contributors Morgan Conklin, Courtney
Stutts, and Delia Maresco—led the program to 63 wins over the past four seasons, including
24 ACC victories. Their resume also includes four straight NCAA Tournament appearances,
including a 2014 College Cup appearance. Just this past season, the five of them combined for
six goals and 14 assists.
“We’re going to miss all of them,” Adair said. “They were a part of a very good four years for
us, but we’re returning some very good players. We have players whom we think can step
in and do the job. We may have different personalities, but I think those
people can step in and be successful.”
Fortunately for Adair, a lot of good players return, as he and
his staff continue to recruit well. This comes across as somewhat
of a cliché, but the Hokies truly reload, as eight straight NCAA
Tournament berths attest.
Tech’s current roster features a nice blend of experience and youth. The Hokies go into the
season with five seniors—and all of them contribute.
Perhaps no player is more important to the Hokies’ fortunes than scoring machine Murielle
Tiernan, who already holds the school record for career goals (39) and career points (92). The
Ashburn, Virginia native scored a team-best 14 goals from her forward position last fall on her
way toward being the school’s second All-American (Jazmine Reeves, 2013).
Tiernan earned first-team All-ACC honors for the second straight year. She provides Adair
and the Hokies with star power, but Adair doesn’t want to see her try to do too much in her final
campaign.
“My hope is that she stays healthy and continues to be dangerous,” he said. “As a goal scorer,
it comes in bunches. We want her to play within the team and do her job. If it’s scoring goals,
great. If it’s setting up goals, great. We don’t have any numbers or anything like that in mind. We
just want her to be consistent—which she’s always been.”
Candace Cephers, Bria Dixon, Sydney Curtis, and Kallie Peurifoy round out the senior class.
Cephers, a midfielder, scored six goals last season, while Peurifoy started all 21 games and had
five assists from her forward spot. Curtis, a defender, also started all 21 games, while Dixon, a
midfielder, played in 18 games and recorded three assists.
Those five seniors will be aided by others like Alani Johnson, a forward who finished second
on the team with nine goals despite starting just three games, and Laila Gray, a midfielder,
added seven goals and two assists while starting 20 of 21 games.
Adair hopes that he gets enough collectively from the team to replace the production of those
departed seniors, particularly Meier and Coburn. Curtis, who has played in 39 games in her
career, figures to be among the front runners to replace Coburn, along with Kelsey Irwin, a
talented freshman who sat out last season with a torn ACL.
As for replacing Meier, who started 85 games in her career, Adair will be looking at several
options, including Peurifoy and Madi Conyers, who made the All-ACC Freshman Team two
years ago and has 27 starts over the past two seasons.
“We have some different personalities that can go in there,” Adair said. “Kallie Peurifoy will
be one we’ll look at. Madi Conyers is another one. We’ll look at some different people who have
been significant members of the team. Maybe they’ll have a new role to some extent, but those
two are the ones we’ll look at right off the bat.”
CANDACE
CEPHERS
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Inside Hokie Sports