The Virginia women’s lacrosse team was unable to come out on top against a very talented Maryland squad, falling, 16-11, Wednesday at Klöckner Stadium.
Virginia (7-6, 2-3 ACC) got off to an early start in the first half, finding two scoring opportunities early on that allowed the Cavaliers to lead 2-0 for the first eight minutes of the half. Virginia and Maryland (12-0, 2-0 Big Ten) exchanged goals for most of the half, but a hat trick by sophomore attacker Caroline Steele and a goal by junior attacker Megan Whittle left Virginia trailing by one point.
“I was excited that we kept in close and at times we were winning,” Coach Julie Myers said. “In such a tight game, every mistake made by the Virginia defense mattered. I saw us break a little bit … Little mistakes here and there in transition, ground balls and missed slides. Our girls put their heads down.”
Maryland — an offensively capable team — still found themselves struggling at times to convert against a resilient Virginia defense.
Maryland shot just under 50 percent from the field, due in large part to the defensive efforts of junior goalkeeper Rachel Vander Kolk. Vander Kolk, who tied her season-high 12 saves, displayed strong leadership in helping the Virginia defense anticipate slides and prevent shots.
“We heard [Vander Kolk] talking and I saw the team respond,” Myers said. “She’s a really important part of that defensive unit that did a great job protecting her … And helped her make some great saves.”
A late 6-0 run by Maryland left the Virginia defense unable to find a way to respond, propelling Maryland to a 16-10 lead.
“[Maryland] is a very experienced team, and they were able to pull away with a couple goals that we weren’t unable to finish on the other side” Vander Kolk said. “They were able to find our weakness, and we got a little tired towards the end and need to get better at putting a complete game together.”
The Maryland offense was led by Steele, who was able to score five goals. Steele, who found early success in getting around the Virginia defense, was key in contributing to their devastating 6-0 run.
The late defensive and offensive lapse were not viewed as major losses, but rather opportunities to grow and learn from a top-ranked team.
“Coming and playing against a number one team is exciting, and we were really pumped and prepared a lot for today,” sophomore midfielder Jackson said. “Coming this close just really speaks to how much potential we have for the future and for our upcoming games.”
Virginia faces yet another tough opponent this weekend as it travels to State College, Pa. to face No. 6 Penn State.
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