The Virginia field hockey team put on an offensive onslaught at the University Hall Turf Field beating Longwood 5-0 last night.
The Cavaliers (11-5, 1-1 ACC) once again proved what an important role their home field can play in their success by notching their 10th victory of the season in Charlottesville. The victory for the Cavaliers was their 11th of the season, which matches their win total from 2007.
Freshman midfielder Paige Selenski and junior forward Traci Ragukas, both of whom had two goals and an assist, led the Cavalier offensive attack. The Lancers (6-8, 3-2 NorPac) were put away fast as Selenski’s first goal eight minutes into the game proved to be all Virginia needed to overcome Longwood. Freshman midfielder Michelle Vittese was able to score her first goal since coming back from an injury this past Saturday. The Virginia lineup has been in flux for the past week as several players sustained injuries, most of whom continued to play.
“We were nursing a couple of injuries,” Virginia coach Michele Madison said. “So it really shook up the chemistry a little bit. Last week it was like starting all over again in preseason. So we just took a step backwards and tried to get our passing game back, and they were able to that today.”
Junior forward Lauren Elstein is not lucky enough, however, to play with an injury. Elstein broke her clavicle last week and could be sidelined for up to one month, but could make it back for the ACC Tournament in early November. Elstein is currently fifth on the team in goals and second in assists and is a key part of Virginia’s offensive attack.
“It’s a big loss,” sophomore forward Kaitlyn Hiltz said. “It’s hard when you have a player that is out. We all just have to step up and fill that role and learn from what she did for the team.”
To help combat the injury problems, senior forward Liz Hiltz has decided to rejoin the team. Hiltz’s impact was immediate because she was able to contribute an assist last night. Virginia’s offensive efficiency was complemented by its suffocating defense, which was able to post its fourth shutout of the season. The goalkeeper carousel continued to spin as highly recruited freshman Adrienne Ostroff made her first collegiate appearance, playing the second half in goal.
“It’s just a matter of giving [Ostroff] a chance,” Madison said. “Our save percentage has not been that high, and she has been practicing really well, so we gave her a shot.”
Ostroff looked impressive in goal after just having come off an injury, recording three saves.
The Cavaliers will look to reverse their road fortunes as they travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to play the Tar Heels (10-3, 2-1 ACC) Saturday . Virginia currently has a 1-4 record on the road that needs to be improved if the team want to keep its hopes for a national championship alive.
“We need to just carry our mentality [from home games] with us when we are on the road,” Kaitlyn Hiltz said. “We just need to stay focused on the road and remember what we are there to do.”
Defeating North Carolina will be no easy task as the Tar Heels are currently second in the ACC. Their lone loss in-conference was at the hands of Boston College, whom Virginia was able to beat 2-1 in two extra periods. The Tar Heels boast a trio of all-stars in sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Drazdowski, junior back Riley Foster and sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Kintzer, all of whom were on the U.S. Junior National team.
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