After a 12-10 victory at No. 9 Syracuse, the Virginia women's lacrosse team returns for an in-state contest against Old Dominion today at 5 p.m. in Richmond. The No. 7 Cavaliers (1-1) hope to improve upon the strong team play that upended powerful Syracuse in their own Carrier Dome last Saturday.
After dropping their first game of the season to William & Mary, Virginia made some readjustments before traveling to New York.
"After our loss to William & Mary we realized we had a lot to improve upon," senior team captain Jill Hansen said. "We saw the changes we need to make and our coaches saw the changes we need to make."
Against Syracuse, Hansen said proudly that the Cavaliers stuck to their game plan, and "were able to read each other better."
The teamwork showed in the scoring. Although junior midfielder Mills Hook scored four of Virginia's 12 goals - and subsequently was named InsideLacrosse Honorable Mention Player of the Week - her teammates also got a piece of the scoring action.
Sophomore midfielder Molly Cangemi scored three goals and sisters Lauren and Lacey Aumiller had two goals each to round out the Cavalier victory.
Facing Old Dominion, Virginia will have to show no less grit.
"We didn't just beat Syracuse," Hansen said. "It was a battle. ODU will be a battle too."
Today's game marks the season opener for the Lady Monarchs.
Old Dominion coach Sue Stahl has a bright outlook for the season, especially with a strong entering class of players.
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"There are some freshmen that we will probably start, and we have sophomores that didn't play last year," Stahl said.
Just the same, the Monarchs will have their work cut out for them. The last time the two teams met, Virginia ran away with a 15-6 win.
"We take them one game at a time," Stahl said. "We concentrate on doing what we do well."
Stahl will look for big play from her team's leading scorer Jen Heister, a 2000 Colonial Athletic Association All-Tournament selection who registered 27 goals and three assists last season.
Critical midfield effort will come from senior Dana Wisniewski, who is considered the "heart and soul" of the Monarch squad, according to the Old Dominion website. She tied Heister as leading scorer with 25 goals and five assists.
In the Monarchs' goal, Virginia's deep rotation will be up against senior keeper Laurie Koller, who started every game last season. Koller had an 11.7 goals-against average and a .432 save percentage.
"We hope [our upperclassmen] have a really good year," Stahl said. She said she sees the seniors as a vital source of leadership for her squad.
Hansen said the key to a Virginia victory will be concentrating on beating the Monarchs in every respect, from attack to defense.
With this win, Virginia could move into the comfort of a winning record, but either way Hansen is enthusiastic: "I'm excited for the season, we'll build up every game and get better"
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