The No. 13 Virginia women's lacrosse team returns to action tonight, seeking its first win of the season at home against in-state rival Richmond.
Hoping to end Virginia's recent domination of the rivalry between the two teams, Richmond (0-3) enters the midweek matchup having lost its first three games of the season to Maryland, Duke and North Carolina - all top-five teams.
The Spiders struggled during their first week of regular season play. Offensively, the squad is averaging only 7.67 goals per game and shooting a mere 38.3 percent. Sophomore midfielder Mary Flowers leads the team in goals and points, registering five goals and seven points during the three losses. On the defensive side of the field, Richmond has allowed an average of 17.67 goals per game.
The Cavaliers (0-1) struggled to find the back of the net this past Saturday, dropping their season opener against then-ranked No. 14 Loyola (Md.) by a score of 15-11. The Virginia squad stumbled throughout the game, despite outshooting the Greyhounds 36-29 and winning the draw control battle 17-11. The Cavaliers' offensive woes allowed Loyola to jump ahead at the 3:57 mark during the first period and never look back.
"When it came down to it, it was mostly the little things that we just weren't focusing on like ground balls and passing and throwing," senior midfielder and team captain Brittany Kalkstein said. "I wasn't thrilled, obviously, because we didn't get the win, but it was a good first test. I think we [could] see the things we need to work on before our game on Wednesday."
Virginia coach Julie Myers stressed that the team must improve its ability to pick up ground balls, especially those which deflect off the goalkeeper, as well as its shot placement and ball movement to defeat the Spiders for the fourth season in a row.
As the season progresses, Myers expects the team to improve with more game time experience. Only six girls on the 25 member team are seniors, and eight are freshman.
"I think only five kids that played for us [on Saturday] actually had played significant game time before," Myers said. "I think it's a little bit jittery and a little bit nerve-wracking for some of them. They just need a little bit more time and experience under their belt, and they'll iron it out."
Following Wednesday night's matchup, the Cavaliers welcome No. 6 Syracuse to Charlottesville Saturday, hoping to repeat last season's upset of the then-No.3 Orange. The opening draw in that contest is scheduled for noon.
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