The No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team (4-4) will look to snap out of a three-game losing streak this Saturday when they travel to face No. 5 Notre Dame (8-1) in South Bend, Ind.
It has been a tough recent slide for the Cavaliers, who started the season 4-1. Virginia has since lost to then-No. 2 Syracuse, 14-8.
They were defeated this past week by Loyola, 7-6, and No. 4 North Carolina, 11-10, in double OT.
But Virginia has shown some quality play in these close losses to strong opponents.
“We are doing a lot of things well,” coach Julie Myers said. “We just need to make some bigger plays and be a little more clutch in the moment.”
In playing Notre Dame, the Cavaliers will face another strong opponent.
The Fighting Irish enter the game on a three-game win streak, which includes their most recent victory over No. 7 Princeton, 16-11.
They also currently boast the top-ranked offense in the country, averaging 16.56 goals per game this season.
Virginia will rely on sophomore goalie Rachel Vander Kolk, who is third in the ACC for most saves per game at 8.5, and the strong defensive quartet of seniors Ella Cooper and Sarah Gillespie and juniors Maggie Preas and Wyatt Whitley to slow the Notre Dame attack.
“We have to really bring our A-game and be sharp,” Myers said. “Our defense is going to have to clamp down on some of those key attackers.”
Defensively, Notre Dame is experienced and has depth. They are led by senior Barbara Sullivan, a Tewaaraton finalist last season.
The Cavaliers have some excellent individual offensive players, including junior attacker Posey Valis, who has scored a team-high 20 goals this season, and sophomore midfielder Kasey Behr, who has scored 17 and leads the team in free position goals with eight. But Virginia will opt to utilize a team-style play that focuses on getting all of the offensive players involved when attacking Notre Dame’s defense.
Behr emphasized this game plan, listing “quick ball movement, a lot of cutters, and just keeping our attack moving” as the keys of the game for the Virginia offense.
In addition, Virginia will play this game with some extra motivation.
Last season, Notre Dame defeated the Cavaliers in both of the teams’ two meetings, including a 7-6 Notre Dame victory in the opening round of the ACC tournament.
With a full week between their last-played game against North Carolina and this weekend’s game against Notre Dame, the Cavaliers hope to reverse their fortune this time around.
“We’ve been working really hard getting prepared for Notre Dame this week” Behr said.
Added Myers: “We have a little bit of a grudge match going because they did get the better of us last year. So it is our turn to go out there and show them what we can do.”
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