No. 3 Virginia field hockey reestablished an ACC winning streak Friday with a 2-0 win over Louisville, averting a fourth-quarter resurgence to clinch a victory on the road. The Cavaliers (12-1, 6-1 ACC) cruised past the Cardinals (7-8, 1-5 ACC) thanks to a pair of goals from freshman forward Mary Adams and sophomore forward Amelie Rees that kept Virginia steadily in the driver’s seat for the entirety of the match.
“Overall, it was a solid road win, solid defensive performance,” Coach Ole Keusgen said.
Louisville might be unranked, but in the ACC, any team could upset another. Beating the Cardinals is impressive when considering the fact that they spent the first five weeks of the season in the NFHCA top 20, during which they beat two ranked teams.
Louisville also showed its chops in games that did not go its way — although the match resulted in a loss, the Cardinals took then-No. 1 Northwestern all the way to overtime and were the first team in the country to score on the Wildcats this season. Just two weeks ago, they nearly overcame then-No. 9 Duke, once again losing by just one goal.
In summary, Virginia could not expect to waltz in and out of Derby City without a fight from the host team. Yet after 30 minutes of play, it looked like the Cavaliers would do just that. Just four minutes into the match, graduate midfielder Suze Leemans blocked a poor clearance from a Louisville defender and fired the ball into the crowded circle.
Sophomore netminder Emily Young deflected the shot for the Cardinals, but Adams — in her career first starting appearance — intercepted it just behind the stroke mark. Undaunted by the sea of red crashing the circle, Adams lifted the ball into the net to put Virginia up 1-0, marking her second career goal.
The Cavaliers pressed the advantage, notching the second goal of the match just two minutes into the second quarter. Leemans — who has proved herself time and again to be one of Virginia’s best playmakers — made a run down the baseline before slipping a pass to Rees, who slammed the ball home. It was a dominant first half that saw Virginia record five shots, four of which were on goal, while the defense held Louisville to just two shots total. Keusgen praised the pair’s performance.
“We took control early in the game and scored early,” Keusgen said. “I was happy to see Amelie and Mary find ways to score.”
Virginia’s momentum did not last long, however. The Cardinals found their footing in the second half, stifling the Cavaliers’ offensive line and keeping the defense on its heels. In the fourth quarter alone, Louisville registered five shots and three corners, while Virginia managed only three shots the entire half.
“After the second goal we took our foot off the gas, and unfortunately that allowed Louisville to be in the game,” Keusgen said.
However, the Cardinals could still not get on the board. Junior netminder Nilou Lempers shined, registering six saves and notching her seventh shutout of the season. Meanwhile, the rest of the defensive line ensured that Lempers never had to save the majority of Louisville’s shots — although the Cardinals made 10 shots, only six of them were on goal. With such a solid group in the back, it is no wonder the Cavaliers continue to hold opponents to just 0.49 goals per match.
With that being said, the fact that the Cardinals had so many opportunities is cause for concern for the Cavaliers. Louisville might not have been able to convert on goal, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the teams on Virginia’s docket. With matches against No. 11 Maryland and No. 6 Wake Forest fast approaching, the Cavaliers have no room for error when it comes to offensive performance. The Terrapins are ninth in the country in goals against average, while the Demon Deacons rank fourth in both goals and points per game and fifth in scoring average as well as scoring margin.
It will take production on both ends of the field to beat both opponents, but the Cavaliers already boast one of best defensive back lines in the country. If they can improve their offensive performance in time for the ACC Tournament, it is hard to picture another team taking the crown.
Virginia field hockey returns home Tuesday to play No. 11 Maryland at Turf Field. The match is slated to begin at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACCNX.
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