If fans tuned into Virginia field hockey’s match against North Carolina in the second half, they would not think the Cavaliers were losing. In fact, for much of the game, Virginia (9-1, 5-1 ACC) had the Tar Heels (11-1, 4-1 ACC) on, well, their heels. Yet all it took was one moment for the game to turn on its head, sending the Cavaliers into a mad scrabble that ultimately resulted in their first loss of the season.
"There are a lot of things to be proud of and that we did very well but at the end of the day if you play for the No. 1 spot in the country it comes down to the little details,” Coach Ole Keusgen said. “Especially in the second half, we did not do those details very well.”
The match did not begin that way, though. In the initial minutes, Virginia led in shots and shots on goal, eking out two to North Carolina’s zero. The Cavaliers also notched an early pair of corners that helped add to their momentum.
The teams continued to trade offensive momentum in the first and second quarters, but there was one crucial constant — Virginia’s impenetrable defense. Wherever North Carolina turned, there was a blue player waiting. Even when the Cavaliers ceded corner opportunities to the Tar Heels, they either blocked the first shot entirely or cleared the rebound. It was an impressive display of defensive prowess from a Virginia team whose back line is arguably the best in the country, let alone the ACC.
Defensively, the standout was undeniably junior back Madison Orsi, whose fearlessness as the flyer on the defensive corner unit stopped many a North Carolina look at goal. Whenever Orsi got behind a Tar Heel player, it was only a matter of time until she took possession of the ball. Her fellow defenders were equally spectacular, forming a brick wall of a back line that kept the Cavaliers firmly in the driver’s seat even as their offensive opportunities dwindled.
Unfortunately for Virginia, North Carolina eventually found a crack in that wall. Junior forward Ryleigh Heck, who leads the team in goals, slipped a pass through a brace of Cavalier defenders. Junior forward Charly Bruder was in the right place at the right time for the reception. She flicked the ball upward before firing off what can only be described as a reverse drive that caught everyone — including her teammates — off-guard. Junior netminder Nilou Lempers tried to catch the ball before it dribbled over the line but could not get to it in time.
With under 10 minutes left in the match, the pressure was on for Virginia to find an equalizer or, better yet, a game-winner. By that point, though, the Cavaliers had been run ragged by the Tar Heels’ fast pace of play. As the clock wound down on Virginia’s first loss of the season, the Cavaliers pulled Lempers from the cage to add another forward on the field, but with momentum squarely in the Tar Heels’ favor, there was nothing they could do.
“On offense, we did not generate a lot and then you make one silly mistake and the ball goes in,” Keusgen said. “You cannot expect to win a game against the No. 1 team in the country RPI-wise with no goals scored.”
Although the score did not turn out in Virginia’s favor, the Cavaliers had a strong showing through the first three quarters, especially from the back line. Without junior midfielder Mia Abello, freshman back Lauren Sloan, Orsi and Lempers, the score would have been far different from the close match it turned out to be. It is not easy to hold a team like North Carolina to so few shots, let alone so few goals — the defense should be proud of its stellar performance against the most prolific offense in the country.
“We defended amazing, our hustle was great and our team chemistry was great, but we did not generate enough [offensively],” Keusgen said.
Virginia plays again Tuesday against No. 7 Liberty, its fourth match against a top-10 team this season. The game is slated to begin at 5 p.m. at Turf Field and will be broadcast on ACCNX.
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