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Sept. 1, 2003
The University of Virginia field hockey team erupted for three goals in a span of six minutes to break open a close game and then survived a late charge by the Northeastern Huskies (1-1) to win 4-2 in the opener for the 2003 campaign. Virginia’s Katie Nicholson (Clarksburg, N.J./Allentown) sandwiched a pair of goals around Mia Link’s (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) first collegiate marker as the Cavaliers scored on three penalty corner plays to take a 3-0 lead with 10:14 to play in the first half. UVa’s Logan Carr (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy), who got the starting nod in the cage, made six saves, including stopping a corner scramble after time expired, to hold the Huskies at bay.
Virginia got on the board after Allison Flynn (Readington Township, N.J./Hunterdon Central) forced a corner halfway through the first stanza. The Cavaliers were awarded a second consecutive corner on a second defensive foul, and on the play a Katie Phillips (Fort Worth, Tex./Trinity Valley) shot was saved by NU’s Diana Nelson, but Nicholson dug the ball out from the keeper’s pads and put it in the boards for the score.
Flynn drew another corner three minutes later as she took a feed from Link into the circle. Again the initial direct shot was saved but the ball was played dangerously, giving the Hoos a second corner. The Cavaliers worked a give-and-go and Sarah Miller (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) fired a shot to the left of the cage that was tipped to the boards by Link, putting Virginia up 2-0.
Flynn again forced a corner along the endline and Katie Jo Gerfen (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) took the direct shot that was again saved by Nelson. Again Nicholson dug the ball out and put it past the keeper for a 3-0 lead with 10:14 to play in the half, forcing the Huskies to take a timeout.
The Huskies drew a corner with just under five minutes to play in the half and after the initial play was disrupted, Jay Quinn collected the ball on the left side and put it in the cage, pulling Northeastern within two at 3-1 with 4:29 to go in the stanza. The half ended with the Cavaliers up 3-1.
Neither team was able to get much of an advantage in the early part of the second half, but the Cavaliers drew a corner with just under 10 minutes to play. Phillips’ shot was saved out to the left, but Gerfen caught up with it and sent it back into the circle where Dana Anderson (LItitz, Pa./Warwick) collected it, pulled right around the keeper, and sent it to the boards for a 4-1 lead with 9:45 to play.
The Huskies answered right back as Megan Troxell brought the ball up the right and passed it off to Melissa Rowell, who collected it at the top of the circle and sent it to the left post just past Carr to make the score 4-2 with 9:09 to play.
Northeastern drew a corner as time expired and UVa was unable to clear the first attempt out of the circle before giving up a second corner. The second corner resulted in a scramble at the goal mouth and the Huskies were awarded a penalty stroke. The attempt sailed to the right of the cage, ending the game. Virginia has now won 37 consecutive games at home against out-of-state, non-conference opponents and 12 consecutive home openers.
The Cavaliers next travel to Princeton, N.J. to face the Tigers on Friday, Sept 5. Game time is 6:00. Virginia will then play Drexel at Princeton on Sunday, Sept. 7. Game time has been changed to 12:00 noon.
Linescore 1-2=F (records)
Northeastern 1-1=2 (1-1)
Virginia 3-1=4 (1-0)
Scoring summary:18:32 VA pc Nicholson21:45 VA pc Link (Miller)34:46 VA pc Nicholson30:31 NU pc Quinn60:15 VA fg Anderson (Gerfen)60:51 NU fg Rowell (Troxell)
Goals: VA: Nicholson 2, Link, Anderson NU: Quinn, TroxellAssists: VA: Miller, Gerfen NU: TroxellKeepers: VA: Logan Carr (70 mins, 6 saves, 2 GA) NU: Diana Nelson (70 mins, 5 saves, 4 GA)Shots: VA 12, NU 10Corners: VA 8, NU 7Strokes: VA 0-0, NU 0-1