Virginia Tech women's soccer opened its 2026 season with a 2-1 comeback win over Old Dominion on Thursday night at Thompson Field, erasing an early deficit and getting the game-winner from sophomore midfielder Hannah Pachan in the second half.
Old Dominion struck first in the 17th minute, as Madison Telmer buried her first goal of the season off a pair of assists from Katie Lutz and Riley Mullen to give the Monarchs an early 1-0 lead.
Virginia Tech answered ten minutes later. In the 27th minute, freshman forward Riley Karpinski scored her first goal of her collegiate career off a feed from senior Anna Weir, pulling the Hokies level at 1-1 heading into halftime. The Hokies actually led in shots after the opening 45, 8-6, despite trailing on the scoreboard for much of the half.
The two sides stayed deadlocked through the intermission before Pachan put Virginia Tech in front for good in the 65th minute, converting an assist from Eliana Salama to make it 2-1. Pachan played 62 minutes before coming off, having delivered the difference-maker.
It was a tightly contested shot battle overall, with Virginia Tech holding a narrow 15-14 edge. Weir led all Hokies with five shots, while Salama added four of her own to go with the secondary assist on the winner. For Old Dominion, Ashley Economopoulos and Mullen each put up three shots, with Mullen also drawing the primary assist on the Monarchs' lone goal. Virginia Tech also dominated the corner kick battle, forcing six to Old Dominion's two, and edged the Monarchs in fouls committed, 13-11.
The match got increasingly physical as it wore on. Old Dominion picked up cautions on Ally Richardson (48th minute) and goal-scorer Madison Telmer (52nd minute), while Virginia Tech's Peyton May and an Old Dominion player were both booked in the same 77th-minute stoppage. Weir, who had assisted the equalizer earlier in the match, picked up a yellow card of her own in the 87th minute, and one additional caution was shown in the closing minutes as things stayed heated to the final whistle.
Virginia Tech goalkeeper Julianna Trujillo played all 90 minutes between the posts, making three saves and allowing only Telmer's first-half strike. Old Dominion split time between the posts, with Emily Earles playing the first half and conceding Karpinski's equalizer before Ellie Goodrich took over after the break, making one save but ultimately allowing Pachan's game-winner.
The win moves Virginia Tech to 1-0 to open the season under 15th-year head coach Chugger Adair, while Old Dominion drops to 0-1. It's a measure of payback for the Hokies, who fell to these same Monarchs by an identical 2-1 scoreline last September in Norfolk.
Virginia Tech stays home for its next match, hosting VMI at Thompson Field on Sunday, Aug. 16.
