ATLANTA, GA- No. 4 Georgia Tech took down No. 3 Virginia Tech, 9-5, in an intense contest before a large and spirited home crowd on a blistery night in Atlanta. It was the Jackets' (4-0) third-straight victory over a ranked opponent.

The last time these teams met the Hokies beat the Jackets in the 2015 SELC championship game, but Friday night was different. Freshman Tim Peterson, (Needham, Mass.) led the way with two goals and an assist while the Tech defensive pressure was unrelenting from end to end.

The first half was a battle between two historically strong defenses familiar with their opponent’s style. The Jackets would crack the code early with senior Chris O’Brien (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) leading the way with a big score. O’Brien’s opening goal would start a three-goal Georgia Tech run that occurred in less than a minute. The Hokies responded a minute later to cut the Jackets' lead to 3-1.

With under three minutes to play in the opening quarter, both teams exchanged goals, giving the Jackets a 4-2 edge. Both stout defenses would live up to their reputation in the second quarter, upping the pressure and blanking the offenses to keep the 4-2 margin at the break.

Despite unforced turnovers, Georgia Tech pushed the tempo in the second half to create more scoring opportunities. With the noisy large crowd involved, Tech would strike first with Peterson hitting the goal for a three-goal cushion. Virginia Tech rallied to score two straight, cutting the margin to 5-4.

Leading only 5-4, the Jackets increased the pressure defensively, allowing Georgia Tech to outscore the Hokies, 4-1 for the remainder of the half. The run was highlighted by senior Ben Mertz (Loganville, Ga.) ripping a top corner shot on a feed from O’Brien as the crowd exploded.

Virginia Tech will meet Indiana on Saturday at Georgia Tech while the Ramblin' Wreck will entertain the Hoosiers on Sunday.