3-peat

AKRON, Ohio -- Candace Cephers and Alani Johnson propelled the fourth-ranked Virginia Tech women’s soccer team to its third-consecutive shutout win on Friday night at Akron.

Cephers started the scoring by notching her second goal off a corner kick in the last two games, and Johnson put away two goals to bring her freshman season tally to three.

“Overall a good result," head coach Chugger Adair said. "We were able to get a lot of players in, and both our goalkeepers did a good job for us.”

The Hokie (3-0-0) attack got involved early and kept the pressure on the Akron (1-2-0) defense for nearly the entire first half. In the second minute, a cross from Katie Yensen nearly resulted in a goal, but the Akron defenders beat the Virginia Tech forwards to the ball to clear it away.

After 32 minutes of Hokie possession, Cephers capitalized on a corner from Kallie Peurifoy to head in her second goal of the year.

Nine minutes later, Madi Conyers sent a pass from the right wing to Kelsey Loupee in the middle -- Johnson gathered the one-touch pass from Loupee and turned the corner on her defender to bury the shot.

Johnson tallied her second goal after connecting on a corner kick from Loupee.

“Alani has come in and proven she can score goals,” coach Adair said. “She has good athleticism and a good nose for goal. I think we’ve been balanced in scoring this season, and that’s most important.”

Many of the younger Hokies have seen quality minutes this season, and many have delivered. Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for eight of the 13 goals Virginia Tech has scored. Johnson has three goals, Cephers and Bria Dixon have two and Laila Gray has one.

The Hokies head to Ohio State on Sunday at 6 p.m.