The No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will travel to Harrisonburg, Va. to take on No. 16 James Madison tonight.
The Dukes (4-3) have not beaten the Cavaliers (6-3, 1-2 ACC) since 2000. Virginia is 26-10 all-time against JMU; the program’s 26 wins rank as the third most against a school.
James Madison has had a tough season thus far, losing to three ranked opponents and only playing two games at home. The Dukes managed to play close in each loss, as the largest margin of defeat was four points against No. 11 Notre Dame. JMU last lost to Princeton 13-11 Wednesday before the Tigers upset the Cavaliers 8-7 Saturday.
“I think JMU is coming in hungry,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said. “I think we just need to make sure we stay together as a team and we just keep battling everyday, so that on game day, we play great and we are actually going to have a win to show for it.”
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are in a slump, losing three of their last five games to ranked opponents. Tonight, the team will have to look elsewhere besides its balanced offensive attack, as both squads have three players each with at least 16 goals on the season. The Dukes are led by junior midfielder Kim Griffin, who has a team-high 24 points off 20 goals and four assists, while the Cavaliers are led by senior All-American midfielder Ashley McCulloch, who has a team-high 38 points off 20 goals and 18 assists.
An advantage for James Madison could come at the draw controls. The Dukes are sixth in the country, averaging 16 draw controls a game. Although the Cavaliers average a close 13 per game, they recently have struggled with draw controls, which were a major factor in the games against Princeton and William & Mary.
“Anytime you get those 50-50 balls and extra possessions, it gives you a chance to win the game,” Myers said.
Virginia will need all the chances it can get, as it has not been the same team since it beat then-No. 3 Syracuse Feb. 27. The Cavaliers have lost three games, all against top-10 teams, since the win against the Orange, and the team’s wins have been close matches.
For the Cavaliers to make a postseason run, they will need to regain their early season form. A win against JMU could help set Virginia in the right direction.
“We need to get the fire back in us that we had at the beginning of the season,” senior defender Jen Holden said. “Coming off a three losses, it is a hard hit to us, but we are going to turn it around and we are going to keep working hard and get that fire back. I know we can.”
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