The Virginia field hockey team’s senior night Saturday was bittersweet, as Wake Forest routed the Cavaliers 6-2.
“We knew Wake Forest was precise,” coach Michele Madison said. “Their precision is good around the circle, and we just had to be flawless and we weren’t. We had chances to put it in; we also had chances to keep it out. We just couldn’t get the job done today.”
Coming into the game, the No. 13 Cavaliers (11-7, 1-3 ACC) were 11-1 at home and needed a win, having lost two straight games in the strong ACC.
Virginia took control of the game in the beginning but was unable to maintain its level of competitiveness throughout the game. The Cavaliers got on the board first with freshman midfielder Paige Selenski, who scored her team-leading 16th goal of the season about 6.5 minutes into the game. The Wake Forest defense kept Selenski in check throughout the rest of the game, though; she was not able to get a shot in goal for the rest of the day.
After the Cavaliers’ first goal six minutes in, the game was controlled by Wake Forest (15-2, 2-2 ACC): the Demon Deacons scored two minutes later and followed with five straight goals. Junior forward Hilary Moore and junior midfielder Melissa Martin each scored two goals each for the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest senior midfielder Michelle Kasold, who currently ranks second in the nation in assists per game, added two more to her total on the year (23). Despite Wake Forest’s strong play, Virginia did not stop fighting until the final whistle was blown and added a goal by junior midfielder Traci Ragukas, who has netted 11 goals this season.
“I was proud of the team as they kept going and the fight was there,” Madison said. “We were able to get a couple of turnovers ... but we were only able to convert one of them into a goal.”
Three of the Demon Deacons’ six goals came by way of the penalty corner. The six goals allowed by the Cavaliers were the most allowed by Virginia this season.
“I really don’t think the score reflects the actual game,” Ragukas said. “I thought we were right there; we just didn’t get any breaks. We had our opportunities; we just didn’t capitalize on them.”
The Cavalier defense did not show the same tenacity it displayed in previous home games. Madison unexpectedly started freshman Adrienne Ostroff in goal after she had seen time in just three games this season. The start for Ostroff was the first of her collegiate career, and she allowed four goals in 32 minutes while tallying three saves.
Ostroff “had another good week of practice,” Madison said. “She was getting the most saves. That was what it was about — to get some saves. I have to look back at the video, maybe one of the goals she could have gotten.”
Senior Amy Desjadon and sophomore Devon Burnley also saw time in goal, each allowing one goal.
After the game ended, the fans bid farewell to four Cavalier seniors: midfielder Lucy Meyers, back Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn, forward Liz Hiltz and Desjadon, all of whom have had impressive careers in their time in Charlottesville.
The seniors, along with the rest of the team, have a long road ahead of them as they travel to Durham, N.C. to play Duke next weekend and then return to Durham to play in the ACC Tournament the following week. The Cavaliers will need to muster the strength to win on the road if they are to be successful the rest of the season.
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