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LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI rallied with two second-half goals to beat Radford, 2-1, on Friday afternoon in the Big South women's soccer regular season finale for both teams.

VMI (7-10-0, 5-4-0 Big South) had to come back from a 1-0 halftime deficit, thanks to redshirt sophomore Molly Hill's (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) 42nd minute goal that gave the Highlanders (8-10-0, 5-4-0) the lead.  But goals from Kat Underwood and Chrissy Beach midway through the second half were difference for the Keydets.

Just before halfime, Hill got a pass from junior SharDavia Bell (Woodbridge, Va./Gar-Field) on the right side, and hit a shot from the top of the box for a Highlander lead.

“Molly did a good job of getting herself in great position,” head coach Ben Sohrabi said.  “She just brought down a great ball off her chest off a good cross from Shar, and just finished it with a lot of control.”

For Hill, who entered the match in the 34th minute, it was the first goal of her career.

“She's been doing a great job off the bench for us and showed a lot of poise in that situation,” he said.  

Underwood's 54th minute header in the box off a pass from Jen Ball tied the match at 1-1, and Beach's curling shot from 20 yards out was the game-winner for VMI in the 67th minute.

Radford outshot VMI 21-12 in the game, including 12-8 in the second half, and held on to the ball most of the match but couldn't net the equalizer.

“We knocked the ball around and had good chances,” Sohrabi said.  “We possessed the ball 70 percent of the time and though possession doesn't mean you'll win, I felt like we had a good game.”

Both the Highlanders and Keydets closed out the regular schedule with identical league records, and will meet to-be-determined opponents in the 2009 Big South Tournament, hosted by Charleston Southern, next Thursday (Nov. 5).

For Radford, the loss wasn't the result it wanted heading into the tournament, but Friday didn't change how Sohrabi feels about the Highlanders' chances going forward.

“There's eight teams that could win it, and I think we're one of them,” he said.  “We have as good a chance as anyone else, and we'll be ready come tournament time.

“We've got to be more consistent defensively, and we've got to score a few more goals.”