Cavaliers Climb Hill, Power Past Bobcats in Campaign Opener

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Aug. 31, 2002

Final Stats | Video Highlights

The University of Virginia rebounded from a late rally from Ohio and scored the goal in extra time to defeat the Ohio University Bobcats 3-2 today in the opener for both squads. Virginia held a 1-0 lead at halftime and went up 2-0 45 minutes into the game before the Bobcats rallied with a pair of goals nine minutes apart, including one with 43 seconds remaining in regulation, to tie it up. In the extra time period, Cara Unterkofler (Centreville, Va./Centreville) intercepted a Bobcat pass and sent it up to Katie Slocum (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle Area) on the end line. Slocum passed the ball to Katie Phillips (Fort Worth, Tex./Trinity Valley) who took the ball into the circle and drew a short corner. Unterkofler inserted the ball, Emily Beach (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) stopped it, and Kelli Hill (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) struck it. The ball tipped off the post player’s stick into the back of the net, giving the Cavaliers the win in extra time.

Virginia took the early lead 14 minutes into the contest as Katie Nicholson (Clarksburg, N.J./Allentown) dribbled into the circle and drew a short corner. Hill’s strike was blocked by the Bobcat fly, but Hill picked up the loose ball and sent it into the boards for the 1-0 lead. Virginia took the 1-0 advantage into the halftime break.

In the second half, Nicholson intercepted a Bobcat pass out of the backfield and hit a reverse stick pass to Slocum who was on the endline. Slocum’s centering pass was blocked by an Ohio defender, but Rosemary Walker (Oklahoma Citk, Okla./Casady) collected the loose ball and shot it into the boards, giving the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead 45 minutes into the game.

The Bobcats forced a corner with just under ten minutes to play and Elizabeth Unger collected a loose ball in the circle and fired it to the post where it bounced off the Virginia post’s stick into the cage, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Nine minutes later Unger intercepted a transfer pass at the 16 and took it in by herself, scoring with 43.8 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2.

The Cavaliers were able to force a corner as time expired in regulation but were unable to convert, sending the contest into extra time.

In the extra time period, Virginia’s Sara York’s (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) shot hit the side of the net. Ohio countered and a long pass upfield was collected by Unger on the far sideline. Unger took it into the circle but her shot went just left of the cage. With just under three minutes to go in the extra time period, Bojanic intercepted the ball and started the Cavalier score.

With the win, the Cavaliers improve to 1-0. Virginia has won 11 consecutive home openers and has not dropped an opening game at home since 1980. This also marks the start of the 30th field hockey season in school history.

Linescore	1	2	OT	F	(records)Ohio		0	2	0	2	(0-1)Virginia	1	1	1	3	(1-0)

Scoring summary: 14:13, VA, pc, Hill; 45:21, VA, fg, Walker; 60:15, OU, pc, Unger; 69:17, OU, fg, Unger; 82:39, VA, pc, Hill (Beach/Unterkofler)

Keepers: VA: Emily White (82 mins, 4 svs, 2 GA) OU: Ashley Pitkin (82 mins, 5 svs, 3 GA)

Shots: VA: 12, OU 11 Corners: VA: 8, OU: 7