The Virginia women's lacrosse team is coming off an in-state victory against William & Mary while looking to carry its momentum into ACC play. The Cavaliers defeated the Tribe Wednesday night in Williamsburg in a close battle, 14-11. They now look towards a matchup with perennial ACC power North Carolina Sunday at Klöckner Stadium.
During Wednesday's contest, Virginia relied on its offense to overpower the opponent. Sophomore midfielder Kaitlin Duff led the attack with three goals and one assist, and junior attacker Jenny Hauser added two goals and two assists. Eight Virginia players tallied goals, and the team outshot William & Mary 39-23.
The Cavaliers also played tough defense. Senior goalkeeper Kendall McBrearty had five saves, including two crucial ones to stave off the Tribe's comeback attempt after being down 10-5 at halftime. The Virginia squad led the Tribe in ground balls 18-12 and draw controls 16-11, contributing to this effort. Virginia also created 10 turnovers, led by four from Hauser and three from freshman defender Liz Downs.
After this showing, the Cavaliers now look forward to an ACC showdown. Virginia will put its 5-1 record to the test against the Tar Heels' 6-1 record. Virginia has a 1-1 ACC record, with a win against Virginia Tech and a loss at Maryland, while North Carolina is opening its conference schedule Sunday. Virginia comes into the game tied with Maryland for the nation's No. 2 ranking, while UNC boasts a No. 7 ranking, both according to Inside Lacrosse.
Virginia dropped last season's regulation matchup with North Carolina in Chapel Hill by a score of 16-7. They did, however, gain revenge with a 12-6 upset victory over the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship game at the same venue and a 14-8 win in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game in Charlottesville. Needless to say, these two squads have a long history and a tough rivalry.
"I think we're always excited to play a great opponent," Virginia coach Julie Myers said of the contest. "Getting the team up shouldn't be a problem at all. Everyone loves playing an ACC opponent and a game we know we have to be sharp for."
Leading North Carolina into the contest will be freshman attacker Corey Donohoe who has tallied 21 goals and four assists so far this season. Donohoe is only part of the threatening attack -- the Cavaliers face a Tar Heel offense with 30 more goals under its belt than Virginia's 61 this season.
"Carolina is fast, athletic and takes it at you hard. They will shoot, shoot again and then try to shoot some more," Myers said.
To slow down the Tar Heels' high-flying attack, the defense will need to "continue the good communication," senior defender Alice Hughey? said.
Myers pointed out another key to the game.
"We're going to have to be sharp and make sure we have more possession time than they do," she said.
On the offensive side of the field, Virginia will also try to continue its success
"Our offense has so many weapons they can't just focus on one person," sophomore midfielder Brittany Kalkstein said.
The Cavaliers will rely on these weapons in facing yet another highly ranked opponent. Kalkstein leads the squad with 13 goals, while junior midfielder Ashley McCulloch leads the squad with 24 points, scoring 9 times and dishing out 15 assists. Eight other Cavaliers have found the back of the net this season.
The game against the Tar Heels is Sunday at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville.
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