When the No. 7 Virginia women's lacrosse team (11-3) hosts Loyola College (12-1) tomorrow night at 7, they'll be facing more than just the No. 3 team in the nation. In addition to smooth transitions at midfield and the wealth of defensive prowess the Greyhounds boast, the Cavaliers also will face Rachel Shuck.
Shuck does not lead her team in goals like Cavalier Amy Appelt, who has netted 59 goals thus far this season, good for number one in the country. Actually, Shuck has only found the net 12 times in 13 games this year. Whereas Shuck's goals do not necessarily represent her value to the team, her 39 total points do. The 39 points correspond to not only her scores, but also her 27 assists and her nifty knack at abusing the opposing defense to find her open teammates.
In Loyola's 10-8 win over then fourth-ranked Duke last weekend, Shuck recorded three assists to tie for the school's career assists record. With one helper against the Cavaliers this weekend, Shuck will hit 80 for her career and own the record for herself.
"Shuck uses the crease better than anybody in the college game right now," Virginia coach Julie Myers said. "We really need to make sure we're practicing pressuring feeds from behind and pressuring players from behind."
In preparation for Shuck, the Cavaliers adjusted themselves into a different defensive pattern in Wednesday's win over George Mason. The pattern emphasizes not only on-ball pressure but also an increased amount of pressure on players and cutters behind the ball.
The Greyhounds' sole loss this season came against Princeton in early March. Their wins include several against top-20 teams, including a win over Duke, a team that edged out Virginia, 10-9, two weeks ago.
Saturday marks the fourth time this season that the Cavaliers will take on a higher-ranked opponent. So far, their record against higher-ranked clubs is 1-2. Besides the loss to Duke, Virginia also fell, 12-9, to defending national champion Princeton at the end of a weeklong road trip over Spring Break. During that same trip, the Cavaliers snatched their only upset of the season, a 10-8 triumph over then-No. 3 Maryland.
In what will likely be a close contest, the Cavaliers look to bring an impassioned attitude onto the field with them.
"We have to be more emotional and more intense on the field," Virginia senior defender Erin Sweeney said. "We're an intense team on the inside, and I know we have the heart, we just need to show it more on the field."
The game will also mark the first time in a week that Loyola will take the field in competition.
After having a week off in between games, "Loyola is going to come out running," Myers said. "It's always a huge game, and they're a great opponent. It's a game that we really need to win so we can put ourselves in good position for the postseason. It's going to be a huge challenge."
Whether the Cavaliers are up to the challenge or not will likely depend largely on how they respond to Shuck in the crease. With a solid defensive performance, they will have the chance to defeat another top-five competitor and strengthen their game heading into the postseason.
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