The Virginia field hockey team gets another shot at knocking off an ACC powerhouse when it travels to College Park to play No. 3 Maryland tonight at 5 p.m.
The Cavaliers (5-6, 0-1 ACC) lost a heartbreaker during their first conference game against No. 6 Boston College, falling 5-4 in double overtime last Friday and extending their longest losing streak in more than a decade to four games. Despite halting the skid Sunday against Richmond, 3-2, the Cavaliers' drought dropped them out of the top 20 for the first time this year, after entering the season ranked third in the country.
Maryland (9-1, 2-0 ACC) potentially poses the greatest challenge yet to Virginia. The defending champion Terrapins are in the midst of one of the most dominating runs in NCAA history. The team has won four of the last six national titles and puts a 37-game home winning streak on the line against a Cavalier squad which has struggled on the road by losing four of seven away games despite facing just two ranked opponents.
"Everyone wants a shot at the national champions," coach Michele Madison said. "We're going to give it our best."
While the Terrapins' focus is firmly on defending their title after jumping out to an impressive 9-1 start, the Cavaliers' humbling season has them focusing on a more modest goal - finishing games.
Virginia has struggled during the second half all year, and during Sunday's victory against Richmond, a team Virginia holds a commanding 30-4-1 all-time record against, the Cavaliers nearly squandered a 3-0 lead. The Spiders netted two goals during a 10-minute stretch as they outshot the Cavaliers 11-6 during the second half before the Virginia defense finally settled down and secured the 3-2 victory.
"One of our problems has been coming out just as strong in the second half [as we did in the first], whether it's fatigue or just mental," junior forward Britt Knouse said. During a season marred by poor finishes, the loss to Boston College offered Virginia both a reminder of its late-game struggles and a glimpse of its vast potential. The Cavaliers played the Eagles even for more than 90 minutes and forced overtime on a clutch penalty shot by sophomore forward Carissa Vittese. Boston College ultimately spoiled their gutsy performance when senior forward Courtney Tavener collected the game-winning goal
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