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OCTOBER 2021 23 connected with Alexa Spaanstra and then capped the day's scoring by finding the net for the final goal in a 3-1 victory over the Hokies. She got the call for the start in the sec- ond game of the season and scored the lone Virginia goal in a 1-1 draw with Duke. In the second half, she got the ball and pushed forward on the attack, weaving through defenders before pulling up from 20 yards out and bending a shot in to give the Cavaliers the lead. It was in that moment that she said ev- erything clicked. "I think after I scored that goal at Duke it really got my confidence up," Godfrey said. "I was like, 'I can do this. This is something I've been working toward, and if I work hard, I can accomplish anything with this team. This is where I want to be, and anything can happen.'" Godfrey continued to elevate her game throughout the season, helping the Cavaliers power through the fall portion of an unprec- edented split season. She was named the ACC Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches and helped her squad advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. In the spring, she helped spark Virginia's run to the College Cup, marking the pro- gram's third appearance in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in eight years and first since the 2014 season. She earned second-team All-America honors after lead- ing the ACC in assists for the season with nine and helping Virginia on that run. She was the first UVA freshman to win All-Amer- ica honors since Brian did it in 2011. Following all that success, she had talks with head coach Steve Swanson about goals to work on over the summer. After an offseason of work, Godfrey had a different approach entering the current season. "Last year I was super nervous coming into fall camp and then going into the NCAA Tournament," she said. "Now that I have some experience after a long season and having almost the same team, I feel very comfortable and more confident. "There are definitely individual goals we work on over the summer and talk with the coaches about before we leave each year. I'm fortunate to have really good people to lift with and [work out with] on the field back home. I have good people to train with and help me improve physically and work on the things I talk with Steve about to work on im- proving on over the summer. That's a time to make huge strides." That work and confidence have paid off. Godfrey is more than half- way to her season totals from that freshman season. She had a pair of goals and six assists at the half- way point of the regular season, including the winning score against defending NCAA champion Santa Clara in a neutral-site match. Ultimately, Godfrey just wants to do whatever she can to help her team achieve its goals as a unit despite the individual ac- colades and stats. "I just try to be the best team player I can be," she said. Last season, Godfrey became the first Virginia rookie since Morgan Brian in 2011 to earn All-America honors. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA)