The blustery weather of early February was unkind to No. 10 Virginia women’s lacrosse to open the season. Ice rendered Klöckner Stadium unplayable, so the Cavaliers (0-1, 0-0 ACC) were forced to play their first game on the turf practice field without fans in attendance.
Perhaps the circumstances played a role, perhaps not. Either way, Virginia faltered to open the campaign, falling 12-10 to No. 16 Navy. A strong start yielded no fruit as the Midshipmen (1-0, 0-0 AAC) held off a late run, departing Charlottesville with a win.
Three consecutive goals propelled the Cavaliers to an early lead, but Navy regained traction in the final minutes of the first period, scoring two goals to draw within one. The momentum favored the Midshipmen for the rest of the half — Navy scored four more goals in the second period while Virginia struggled to respond. Senior midfielders Ava Yovino and Maggie DeFabio tormented the Cavaliers, scoring two goals each in the first half. After 30 minutes, Navy had doubled Virginia’s initial lead, up 6-3.
This scoreless second period ultimately determined the outcome. The third period saw both teams score three goals, but Navy came out firing in the fourth, scoring three straight in just over five minutes. A four-goal run for the Cavaliers in the final minutes fell just short.
Virginia and Navy wound up nearly even in most categories to close the game, but the Midshipmen found far more success with draws, outdrawing the Cavaliers 16-7. A number of draws proved to be particularly impactful, including two successful Navy draws in the final three minutes to forestall a Virginia comeback.
Despite the loss, a number of Cavaliers posted noteworthy performances. Junior midfielder Kate Galica, a Preseason First-Team All-American, recorded a two-goal game. Galica also forced a team-leading three turnovers. Freshman midfielder Cady Flaherty scored two goals in the first regular-season game of her career — the first of the two goals snapped Navy’s 7-0 run in the third quarter, providing a critical momentum swing for Virginia.
The Cavaliers fielded two goalkeepers in the match, a strange approach perhaps motivated by Navy’s dominant performance in the second period. Senior goalkeeper Mel Josephson recorded five saves in the first half — one shy of the Midshipmen's six total saves on the day — but was pulled for the second half in favor of graduate goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle.
Finnelle joined Virginia this season as a graduate transfer — the former Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year at Florida, Finnelle and Josephson may be in competition for the starting spot. For Finnelle, though, the performance was not particularly convincing. She allowed six goals, equivalent to Josephson, but recorded just two saves.
The early loss is a missed opportunity for the Cavaliers, who could have opened the season with a ranked win. They will hope to return to Klöckner Wednesday versus Richmond, a game that should serve as a confidence-booster for Virginia — and, hopefully, the first opportunity for fans to see the team in action.
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