The No. 3 Virginia field hockey team moved to 3-0 in the ACC Friday night with a tough-fought 3-1 win against No. 10 Syracuse. The Cavaliers followed up the performance Sunday with an 8-0 victory against winless Vermont, extending their winning streak to eight games.
Virginia (9-2, 3-0 ACC) stormed out of the gates Friday night in front of its largest crowd of the season, dominating possession and scoring two early goals against an ineffective Syracuse (7-3, 0-3 ACC) defense and midfield.
The first goal came six minutes into the game when freshman midfielder Lucy Hyams flipped a ball high into the air at the top of the circle and freshman midfielder Tara Vittese successfully deflected it in.
“I didn’t even see that coming,” Vittese said. “I just put my stick up and saw it go into the net. I was completely surprised but so happy.”
Two minutes later, Vittese struck again, this time unassisted, charging at the net from the right side of the circle.
“I took a free hit, got into the circle, and finished,” Vittese said. “I was looking to pass, but no one was really available, so I just hit it into the net.”
The Cavaliers outshot the Orange 16-4 in the first half, and noticeably held the ball for the majority of play.
“The press worked really well against [Syracuse] in the first half, but they made some adjustments and half time that took us a little while to adjust to,” Virginia coach Michele Madison said.
The second half was a different story for the Syracuse attack, but the Virginia defense held strong. Early in the half, Virginia struggled to maintain significant possession and weathered a storm of Syracuse opportunities.
“Syracuse was moving a lot more in the second half,” Vittese said. “They took more free hits and had a lot of penetration in our defense, which hurt us. In the end we stuck it out and played really well defensively.”
Four minutes into the second half, however, sophomore forward Caleigh Foust broke away deep into Orange territory. After attracting several defenders, she found an open Hyams, who launched a shot 10 yards into the Syracuse goal.
“Lucy Hyams — thank God she scored that goal to hold us out on top,” Vittese said.
The goal was enough insurance for the Cavaliers to avoid a nail-biter, though Syracuse did get one back on a breakaway from freshman midfielder Lieke Visser with 16 minutes remaining.
“I knew that she was going to hit it at me, but she kept coming closer and closer, so if I ran out earlier she would have hit it past me, and just as I was about to go out, she hit it by me,” senior goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone said on the goal.
Syracuse finished the half with 13 shots to the Cavaliers’ three. Johnstone recorded 10 saves in the game, including six in the second half. With the victory, the Cavaliers matched their ACC win total from 2013.
“You have to expect that from Syracuse,” Madison said. “They’re a great team and it was a great battle. I’m really proud of our team’s effort today.”
On Sunday afternoon, the Cavaliers faced a struggling Vermont (0-9, 0-0 American East) team which could not contain Virginia’s attack.
Six different Cavaliers scored in the game, including Vittese, Hyams, Foust, junior back Tollie Bell and sophomore midfielder Katie Kelly. Sophomore forward Riley Tata led all scoring with a hat trick, bringing her year total to eight — good for second-best on the team. Vittese tallied two assists, bringing her conference-leading total to 13.
Virginia outshot Vermont in the game, 43-1, with Vermont goalkeeper Lene Benwood tallying 17 saves.
The match ended a three-game home stretch. Virginia plays at No. 1 North Carolina Friday at 6 p.m.
Read More
No. 6 women’s lacrosse relies on veteran goalscoring to defeat Virginia Tech 14-12
By Peter Kratz | 4 hours agoThe Hokies came close, but ultimately couldn’t contend with the Cavaliers’ offensive firepower.
Leo Afonso is ascending the ranks of club soccer — and he is not done yet
By Ben Istvan | YesterdayVirginia's former talisman recently made waves in professional soccer with a dreamlike 17-day stretch.
Virginia softball fumbles last home game of the season to Virginia Tech
By Eleanor Lynch | 2 days agoThe Hokies shut out the Cavaliers, who continue to show immense struggles at the plate.
