The Shadow
BLACKSBURG – Behind six different goalscorers, Tech improved to 2-0-0 with a 6-0 win over VMI on Sunday night.
Tech’s six goals are the most scored in a game since seven against Elon in 2021. The win also marks head coach Chugger Adair’s 175th win, making him the seventh head coach in ACC women’s soccer history to eclipse the mark.
How It Happened
The Hokies dominated possession early on but were unable to break through until the 34th minute when Madi Boutot sent a ball from the Hokies’ defensive half to Anna Weir, who was in behind the defense and 1v1 with the goalkeeper. Weir slotted it low to the far right corner to give Tech the 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Tech came out hot in the second half, scoring just 16 seconds in. Boutot sent the ball forward off the kick, where Hannah Pachan collected it centrally before dishing it out to Letizia Rossi on the right side. Rossi made a move to cut back on the defender before sending it past the goalkeeper. Only 23 seconds later, Rossi played a ball forward to Johannah Bradley, who found her way past the defender and ripped a shot to the top right corner.
With the scoreline at 3-0, Weir drove into the box on the far side, headed for goal before getting tripped by the VMI defender and drawing a penalty in the 49th minute. Sophomore Ellie Robertson stepped up to take the penalty, burying it into the bottom right corner.
Four minutes later, Robertson sent a ball forward over the VMI defense to Weir, who collected it outside the 18-yard box. Weir cut back on the defender and played it to Gabby Ciocca centrally at the top of the box, who launched a shot that was headed towards goal before taking a deflection off a VMI defender and beyond the goalkeeper.
The Hokies kept the pressure high, outshooting the Keydets 21-1 in the second half. The scoring was rounded off in the 76th minute as Eliana Salama collected the ball off a miscleared header from VMI in the 18-yard box and sent it past the goalkeeper, who just barely got her fingertips on it.
Game Notes
- Tech improves to 2-0-0 on the season
- Head Coach Chugger Adair became the seventh head coach in ACC women’s soccer history to eclipse 175 wins
- Tech scored six goals for the first time since Elon (7) on Aug. 26, 2021
- Tech outshot the Keydets 43-3, breaking the program record for shots taken at 41, set in 1993 vs. College of Charleston
- Tech won 12 corners, recording 10 or more for the first time since Sept. 18, 2025 vs. Wake Forest
- Six different goalscorers found the back of the net for the Hokies
- Tech also had six different goalscorers in the only other matchup with VMI (W, 9-0 on Aug. 31, 2004)
- Johannah Bradley, Gabby Ciocca and Letizia Rossi scored their first career goals
- Ellie Robertson and Anna Weir recorded their first goals of the 2026 season
- Eliana Salama and Rossi scored their first goals since returning from an ACL injury
- Hannah Pachan, Madi Boutot and Weir all recorded assists
- Salama recorded 11 shots, the most since Tracy Powers (10) in 1997
- Salama’s 11 shots set a new school record for most shots from an individual player in a game
- Julianna Trujillo and Savannah Sabo held a combined shutout in net
- Bella Ganiere made her first career start
- Maya Goddard and Sofia Skuthälla made their first career appearances
- Sabo, Annie DeHaan, Christine Eiblmeier, Lily Pantaleo and Syri Davis appeared for the first time in 2026
Up Next
The Hokies remain home to host Liberty on Thursday, August 20 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ACCNX.
