In its penultimate away contest, Virginia women’s lacrosse travelled to Louisville, Ky., to take on Louisville Saturday. In a game initially characterized by each team trading goals, the Cavaliers (6-7, 4-3 ACC) went on a run in the final quarter to overcome the Cardinals (6-6, 2-5 ACC) by a 12-10 margin.
Junior midfielder Kate Galica and sophomore attacker Fiona Allen led the way for Virginia, scoring four and five goals, respectively. Galica has been the star of the Cavaliers’ season so far, and performances like Saturday’s feel like they are to be expected at this point.
Yet Allen’s standout performance stole the show — her four straight goals in the fourth quarter gave Virginia a late lead that it didn’t lose, three of which all came in the same number of minutes. Coach Sonia LaMonica emphasized Allen’s impact postgame.
“Fiona [Allen] was a huge spark for our offense today,” LaMonica said. “And the group allowed her strengths to shine, which was awesome to see.”
Overall, the Cavaliers’ outshined Louisville greatly on the offensive end, outshooting the Cardinals 38-24 and also winning the turnover and draw control battle. Virginia has leaned on its attacking firepower all season, and Saturday was no different.
Louisville struck first in the first quarter thanks to a well-placed shot by senior attacker Maggie McMahon, opening her account for the season. Both sides were still finding their tempo, trading goals to end the quarter.
Penalties troubled the Cavaliers in the next quarter, and the Cardinals were able to capitalize by scoring three free position attempts. With the clock winding down on the first half, Virginia was trailing 8-5, but Galica’s brilliance with just a second left to play kept the Cavaliers within two entering the half.
Coming out of halftime, Virginia looked like it was on the front foot, but quality looks just weren’t translating into goals. Louisville outscored the Cavaliers in the third period 2-1, leaving Virginia trailing by three goals headed into the final 15 minutes of action.
The Cavaliers’ frustration from a lack of finishing and poor luck over the previous period boiled over in the fourth. Allen took this energy in stride, finding the back of the net three times in quick succession to tie the game at 10-10.
Yet a fourth quarter hat trick was not enough — with 5:53 left in regulation Allen dodged from the top of the formation to her favored right side and ripped a shot past the Cardinals’ goaltender. Allen’s one-woman flurry had given Virginia its first, last and only lead of the game.
The comeback symbolized the Cavaliers’ impressive mental fortitude, a trait that has become the norm for LaMonica’s teams. In late-game situations, when there’s everything to play for, Virginia comes alive.
“Building our resiliency has been a big focus coming into this game,” LaMonica said. “Louisville is a tough team, and we demonstrated better response to setbacks today, especially when it mattered most.”
The Cavaliers will have an opportunity to take down the national No. 1-ranked team Friday when North Carolina comes to Klöckner Stadium. First draw is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ACCN.
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