After a tough loss to No. 2 North Carolina last week, No. 3 Virginia field hockey needed a win to return to form, and a home game Tuesday against No. 7 Liberty provided the perfect opportunity to do so.
It was slated to be a defensive slugfest from the beginning — the Flames (10-2, 4-0 Big East) entered the game ranking second in the country in shutouts per game, while the Cavaliers (10-1, 5-1 ACC) ranked third in the country in save percentage. In the end, though, it was Virginia that took home the 1-0 win, stifling Liberty’s attempt at an equalizer in the second half.
The initial minutes of the match saw the Cavaliers in the driver’s seat, notching two shots to the Flames’ zero. The lone goal of the game came eight minutes in off a deflected shot into the circle from graduate midfielder Suze Leemans. Liberty’s netminder attempted to send the ball wide but instead found the stick of senior midfielder Caroline Nemec, who wasted no time finding the backboard.
“A lot of our games we have had fourth-quarter wins,” Nemec said. “So being able to score in the first quarter and really capitalize that in the beginning really set us up for success and allowed us to have the mindset on being on the offense the whole game.”
Virginia had a strong showing in the rest of the half, recording another shot in the second quarter as well as a pair of saves from junior goalkeeper Nilou Lempers, whose performance against the Tar Heels last week prevented the score from going higher than 1-0 in North Carolina’s favor. With the shutout over Liberty, Lempers registered her sixth of the season and her fifth against a ranked team, an impressive statistic even for a veteran.
Coach Ole Keusgen was proud of his team for bouncing back against such a competitive opponent.
“Liberty is a very good defensive team, and they don’t traditionally give up any chances, so that early goal was important,” Keusgen said. “We came out firing. That’s what we said throughout the week, what do we need to do better to be out there, to be aggressive and to make an impact.”
The offensive surge from Virginia was a step in the right direction, especially considering that it was the Cavaliers’ third consecutive match with a lone goal differential. However, Virginia needs to increase its shots on goal if it wants to improve its goal output. The Cavaliers may have edged out the Flames in terms of shots, tallying eight to their seven, but Liberty had the advantage in shots on goal with four compared to Virginia’s two.
A win is a win, of course, but it is undeniable that after such a close match against North Carolina, Virginia needs to find its offensive mojo. One goal could have been the difference between a regulation loss and victory in overtime. The Cavaliers had a solid opponent in the Flames that might have yielded more goals if Virginia had capitalized on its three offensive corners. If the Cavaliers can build on the offensive momentum of this match, they could stand a real chance at defeating the rest of the ACC come championship time.
“Coming off of a loss we really wanted to capitalize on today,” Nemec said. “A large part of that had to do with the basics, making the simple passes, connecting with one another and really capitalize on having that offensive attack out there.”
Virginia field hockey will return to the field Sunday against William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. The match will begin at 1 p.m.
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