Cavaliers Drop Close One to #3 Maryland 3-2 in Final Minutes
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Oct. 4, 2003
The University of Virginia field hockey team (5-6) stood strong and battled back to tie #3 Maryland (10-1) with 1:39 to go in regulation as Mia Link (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) batted in a loose ball off a corner play. The Terrapins, however, came back 33 seconds later to notch the game-winning goal and held on for the 3-2 victory. Logan Carr (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) made a season-high 14 saves to lead the Cavalier defensive efforts as Virginia faced 24 shots and 11 corners on the day.
Maryland jumped on the board in the first 15 minutes of the game as Paula Infante scored off a broken corner play to give the Terps the lead 1-0. Virginia answered back as they Cavaliers gained possession on a Maryland mishit. Katie Phillips (Fort Worth, Tex./Trinity Valley) took the free hit on the sideline and sent a ball into the circle where captain Katie Jo Gerfen (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) ran onto the ball and tipped it to the roof of the cage five minutes later to tie the game. The teams went into the break tied 1-1.
The second half was delayed as the Cavaliers waited for the Terrapins to come out onto the field, but in the first minute of the second half Maryland struck again on a short corner as Infante scored on a pass right from Sara Silvetti, giving the Terps the lead at 2-1 in the 36th minute of the game.
Maryland took 11 more shots in the period but could not find the back of the boards as the Cavalier defense repelled them. The Virginia tenacity was rewarded in the 68th minute as Aly Curmaci (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) intercepted a 16-yard hit out by the Terps and sent the ball upfield to Katie Nicholson (Clarksburg, N.J./Allentown) at the top of the circle. As Nicholson attacked the circle she was fouled and the Cavaliers took a short corner. Gerfen”s shot was saved but the rebound popped out to Link, who backhanded the ball into the cage with ninety-nine ticks on the clock, tying the game at 2-2.
The Terps then made one final push and Jackie Ciconte knocking in a goal just 33 seconds later, giving Maryland the win.
Virginia returns to action on Wednesday, October 8 as the Cavaliers host Radford at 7:00 at the Turf Field.
Linescore 1 2 FVirginia 1 1 2Maryland 1 2 3
Scoring summary:14:09 MD pc Infante 0-119:06 VA fg Gerfen (Phillips) 1-135:57 MD pc Infante (Silvetti) 1-268:21 VA pc Link 2-268:54 MF fg Ciconte (Barbieri) 2-3
Goals: VA: Gerfen, Link MD: Infante 2, Ciconte
Assists: VA: Phillips MD: Silvetti, Barbieri
Keepers: VA: Logan Carr (70 mins, 14 saves, 3 GA) MD: Tori Cano (70 mins, 1 save, 2 GA)
Shots: VA 4, MD 24Short corners: VA 2, MD 11