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April 25, 1998

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.–The top-ranked Virginia lacrosse team scored five goals in the opening six minutes of the game and withstood a Temple run to defeat the ninth-ranked Owls 13-7 in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers were led by Mia Mooney (Penn Valley, Pa./Shipley), who scored in her seventeenth consecutive game and sixteenth in a row this season, which ties the Cavalier record for consecutive games with a goal scored in a single season. In addition, Mooney’s six points (three goals, three assists) is a career high.

Virginia opened up with five goals on the first five shots of the game in the first 6:18 of the game. Jess Hull (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) took a Mooney pass to the cage 36 seconds into the contest to give the Cavaliers the lead they would not relinquish. Senior captain Peggy Boutilier (Baltimore, Md./Roland Park Country) scored on an unassisted drive to the net 80 seconds later. Samm Taylor (Springfield, Va./Robinson) put Virginia up 3-0 with an unassisted goal two minutes later, and Mooney added her first goal 22 seconds after Taylor’s goal. After Meredith Elwell (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) scored with Mills Hook (Lutherville, Md./St. Paul’s)’s record-setting 13th assist 90 seconds after Mooney, the Owls called a time out.

Temple got on the board when Claudia Ovchinnikoff, who leads the nation with 71 goals, charged from midfield and scored with 14:14 remaining in the first half. Boutilier answered for the Cavaliers 26 seconds later, but the Owls swooped down and scored the next four goals to pull within one at halftime 6-5. Jen Edens had a pair of goals in that run and Ovchinnikoff added her second goal of the game with just 51 seconds before halftime.

The Cavaliers started the second half much like the first as they netted three goals in the first 6:36. Elwell converted a Hull pass two minutes into the stanza, and Kara Ariza (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) quick-sticked a goal from Mooney 90 seconds later. Mooney added the next two goals for the Cavaliers to give the Hoos a 10-5 advantage with 17 minutes left.

Ovchinnikoff converted a free position with just over 13 minutes left, but this time the Cavalier defense, ranked second in the country, clamped down and held the Owls scoreless for ten minutes. Lacey Aumiller (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) scored with just under 11 minutes to go, and Elwell scored her third goal on Mooney’s third assist two minutes later. Hook’s goal with 6:49 remaining gave the Cavaliers their largest margin of the game at 13-6, but Temple’s Christie O’Connor scored on a crease challenge with 3:04 remaining for the final score of 13-7.

The Cavalier defense, led by senior ‘keeper Heather Castle (Timonium, Md./Notre Dame Prep), kept the Owls off the board for the first 15 minutes of both halves. Castle had a season-high ten saves in the game. Elwell picked up six ground balls and caused three Owl turnovers. The Cavaliers dominated the draw controls, winning 17 of the game’s 22 draws. Elwell and Melissa Hayes (Chevy Chase, Md./Georgetown Visitation) had four draw controls each in the game.

The Cavaliers conclude their regular season with a game against fourth-ranked Loyola in Baltimore on Tuesday, April 28. The Greyhounds lead the country in scoring defense, allowing 5.54 goals per game to the Cavaliers’ 5.56. Game time at Curley Field is 3:30.

                    1   2   Final (Records)Temple  (9)        5   2   7 (12-4)Virginia (3)       6   7   13 (14-2)Scoring: Goals (V): Mooney 3, Elwell 3, Boutilier 2, Hook , Ariza, Hull, Aumiller, Taylor       (T): Ovchinnikoff 3, Edens 2, O'Connor , CampbellAssists: (V): Mooney 3, Elwell, Hook, Hull   (T): noneClearing: V: 11-13; T: 12-15        Caused Turnovers: V: 7; T: 4        Turnovers: V: 14, T: 14Draw controls: V: 17, T: 5      Ground balls: V:26; T: 20       Fouls: V: 16, T: 9Shots: V: 34; T: 20         Free positions: V: 5, T: 9      Saves: V: 10 (Castle 10); T: 13 (Alvarado 13)
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