Just over a month ago, No. 3 Virginia field hockey just barely eked out a 2-1 win over then-No. 4 Syracuse in a home thriller that nearly ended a six-game winning streak. The Cavaliers (15-1, 7-1 ACC) were forced to play from behind after the Orange got on the board early, ultimately pulling through in a gritty win that epitomized the grit and perseverance of this Virginia squad.
Thursday’s ACC semifinal in Louisville, Ky. saw Virginia in a much different position. For one thing, Coach Ole Keusgen was absent from the game due to sickness, so assistant coach Alyssa Parker Rosenblum acted in his stead. For another, unlike their first meeting with the Orange, the Cavaliers got on the board early thanks to an incredible combination play from junior forward Emma Watchilla and sophomore forward Catalina Quinteros.
On the heels of an incredible two-goal performance against Stanford Tuesday, Watchilla continued to prove herself as not only a finisher, but also a playmaker. After pickpocketing a Syracuse defender, Watchilla took off into the circle and landed a scorching reverse shot that might have gone wide save for the quick reflexes of Quinteros, who slapped the ball out of the air and into the net.
The goal reflected newly offensive-oriented gameplay that propelled the Cavaliers past their final regular season opponents No. 11 Maryland and No. 6 Wake Forest as well as quarterfinal opponent Stanford. In all three matches, Virginia utilized its fantastic defensive unit to tire out the opponent until an opening appeared, after which the Cavaliers blitzed any defender unfortunate enough to land in their path.
Just as they had against Stanford, the Cavaliers ceded one too many corners — a fatal mistake given the Orange rank seventh in the nation in goals off of corner attempts, converting 22 percent of them. Syracuse boasts graduate back Bo van Kempen, whose blistering drag flick accounts for the majority of the Orange’s corner success.
Van Kempen’s back-to-back goals demoralized the previously fired-up Cavaliers. With another 30 minutes on the docket and a deficit to overcome, it was obvious that Virginia was beginning to flag both mentally and physically. Although the third quarter passed without a goal for either team, momentum remained squarely in the Orange’s favor, leaving Virginia just 15 minutes to come up with an equalizer.
Graduate midfielder Suze Leemans, one of three Cavaliers to earn First Team All-ACC honors, refused to take the loss lying down. Leemans has been Virginia’s X factor all season, functioning as the Cavaliers’ personal Swiss army knife. Whether she is making a crucial defensive tackle in the back, sending a dime pass to one of the forwards or taking the shot herself, Leemans can do it all and do it well.
Although Leemans’ physicality comes with its share of risk — she garnered two green cards in Thursday’s match, the latter of which was upgraded to a five-minute yellow card — it worked in Virginia’s favor on the Cavalier’s first and only corner of the match.
Senior midfielder Lauren Kenah received the insert from freshman midfielder Mary Adams, electing to slip the ball to Leemans rather than take a shot herself. Unfazed by the Syracuse defender nearing the top of the circle, Leemans slammed the ball into the far corner of the cage, evening the score at 2-2.
Reinvigorated, Virginia locked down the back third to keep Syracuse from getting more looks on goal. To say the Cavaliers succeeded in doing so is an understatement — the Orange had tallied 13 shots over three quarters, but after Leemans’ goal, they did not register a single shot in the fourth quarter and just one in the first overtime period.
The Cavaliers entered the second overtime period with a mission — make the Orange run. With every transfer, Syracuse grew increasingly frustrated and physical, a weakness Virginia began to exploit. In what could have been the deciding moment of the game, Adams received a long pass near the top of the circle and surged past her defender. She attempted a reverse hit, but accidentally sent the ball flying into the fence of Trager Stadium.
The fruits of Virginia’s labor made themselves known in the ensuing shootout. Whereas Syracuse was visibly exhausted from the constant passing in the previous period, the Cavaliers were firing on every cylinder. Leemans, Orsi and freshman forward Riley Savage all scored, but the real star of the shootout was Lempers, who stuffed two shootout opportunities to give Virginia the advantage. Soon after, the Orange’s goalkeeper fouled sophomore forward Amelie Rees, and the Cavaliers earned a penalty stroke — a fatal mistake that cost Syracuse dearly.
Junior back Mia Abello — Leemans’ fellow co-captain and First Team All-ACC honoree — had no trouble converting on the opportunity. Thanks to Lempers’ stellar defensive performance, the goal ended the match and sent Virginia to its tenth ACC Championship final appearance and first since 2022.
The Cavaliers will face North Carolina for the title of ACC Champion Friday in Louisville, Ky. The match will be broadcast on ACCNX, and the time has yet to be announced.
Read More
In tale of two halves, No. 5 seed women’s soccer falls to No. 1 Stanford in ACC semifinal
By Sam Chun | 37 minutes ago"We were knocking on the door for the third one. It’s tough to take.”
Fast? Virginia basketball? ‘It's not the usual U.Va. basketball experience’
By Michael Liebermann | 19 hours agoThe tortoise has become the hare. Fast basketball? Some conqueror rewrote the source code.
The authors, architects and ascendance of Virginia football
By Xander Tilock | Yesterday"If you look at where we were last year, this time, it's almost impossible to see how we could have gotten so far, so fast.”
