The Virginia women’s lacrosse team will begin its four-game road trip this weekend in Massachusetts against Boston College and Harvard.
The Cavaliers (7-5, 1-3 ACC) have experienced a disappointing past few weeks. After starting the season as the No. 4 team in the country, Virginia lost four of its last six games, with the most recent loss coming against Old Dominion, who was on a 33-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.
“We need to make sure we are getting better, and I am not sure we are doing that in terms of finishing,” Virginia coach Julie Myers said.
Virginia will have the chance to get back on track this weekend. The Cavaliers begin play Saturday against ACC opponent Boston College, against whom they will look to keep their perfect 7-0 all-time record alive. Last year’s matchup culminated in a 12-4 victory at home for the Cavaliers..
The Eagles (7-4, 0-3 ACC) have been on the road most of the season, playing 10 of their 11 games away from home. Now it is the Cavaliers’ turn to experience an extended period of time away from familiar territory.
“It is a chance to go out and compete against another team and do all the little things really well — [to] not only generate opportunities, but now actually see and deal with it,” Myers said.
Virginia will have to deal with Boston College’s powerful offense, which averages 13 goals per game. Senior attack Jenna McCabe, who has tallied 29 goals and 15 assists, leads the Eagles’ offense. She is closely followed by sophomore midfielder Kristin Igoe and junior attack Lauren Costello, who have notched 26 and 24 goals, respectively.
Boston College’s offense could prove especially dangerous because the Virginia defense recently has not played up to its potential. Virginia’s defense has been porous at times this season when given a lead, so it will be up to the offense to get off to a good start to give Virginia a chance to win the game.
“I think it is important for us to come out every half scoring a lot of goals,” junior midfielder Kaitlin Duff, “to always try to be up instead of behind and working our way back.”
The Cavalier offense will be hard-pressed to put the ball in the back of the net, though, when it faces Boston College’s goalie, senior Katie Monaghan. She has stopped more than half of her opponents’ shots on goal this season while allowing only 9.72 goals per game.
Virginia offense counters with experience and senior leadership. Midfielder Blair Weymouth recorded her 30th career hat trick and 34th goal this season Wednesday against ODU, and Ashley McCulloch has dished out a team-high 25 assists so far this season.
After squaring off against the Eagles, the squad will not get a respite, as it faces Harvard the next day. The Crimson (4-5, 1-1 Ivy) boasts an impressive offense as well, with two players who have already eclipsed the 30-goal mark this season. Sophomore midfielder Jess Halpern and senior attack Kaitlin Martin have 32 and 30 goals, respectively.
The games this weekend could have a significant impact on how the Cavaliers, once highly ranked but now mired in a recent slump, finish the season. It will be up to the Virginia defense to slow down two high-powered offenses and get the team back on track.
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