Cavaliers Rally, Defeat George Mason 10-5

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April 14, 2004

Final Stats | Video Highlights

The Cavaliers (11-3) rallied from a one-goal deficit three times as the Virginia defense held George Mason (4-6) to one 8-meter in the game and two goals in the final 42 minutes of the contest to defeat the Patriots 10-5 this afternoon in Charlottesville. Elizabeth Pinney had five caused turnovers and five ground balls, Molly Urlock had four caused turnovers and six ground balls, and Nikki Lieb had seven ground balls to lead the Virginia defensive unit, while Andrea Pfieffer had nine saves to push her total career saves to 472. Morgan Thalenberg had four goals in the game, and her draw control in the first half was the 100th draw control of her career at Virginia.

George Mason got on the board first as Sarah Bryant converted a Lisa Hagan pass into the arc for a 1-0 lead just 1:09 into the game. Virginia answered as Lieb knocked down a Patriot pass in the defensive arc and at the other end of the field Tyler Leachman took the ball down the arc and dished it to Thalenberg on her left side. Thalenberg scored to tie the game four minutes after Bryant’s goal. The Patriots went up a second time as Kate Scott fed Stacy Berger on the crease, but the Cavaliers answered immediately as Thalenberg won the ensuing draw and got the ball to Amy Appelt, who drove to the cage before dishing it to Thalenberg, who again cut in from the left to score and tie the game 36 seconds after Mason had retaken the lead. The Patriots went ahead for a third time as Hagan again fed Bryant 11:59 into the game.

The Virginia defense clamped down and did not allow the Patriots to score again for the next 31:38 while helping the offense go on a 7-0 run in that time. Pinney started the run as she scooped up an errant Patriot pass and Virginia brought the ball upfield where Ashleigh Haas took the ball from the top and scored to tie the game at the 14:13 mark of the game. Ashley Dodson caused a turnover in the Cavaliers’ defensive arc and Urlock scooped up the ground ball. Again the Hoos brought the ball upfield where Haas rolled the crease to give the Cavaliers a lead they would not relinquish at the 19:02 mark of the game.

Urlock was also at the start of the next scoring play as she caused a turnover and picked up the ground ball, starting a transition that was completed as Appelt took from the top of the fan and scored with 4:15 to play in the half. Pfeiffer made a save on the next Patriot possession and Virginia brought the ball into their offensive end where Jess Wasilewski dumped the ball over to Thalenberg on the left side. Thalenberg’s goal at 28:24 was her third goal of the game and gave Virginia a 6-3 lead at the break.

Lieb won the opening draw of the second half and Virginia took the ball into their offensive zone where Appelt dumped the ball into Thalenberg in the arc. Thalenberg converted the pass, giving Appelt her 20th assist of the season and the Cavaliers a 7-3 lead. Urlock picked up a loose ball in the defensive zone and Caitlin Banks took the ball upfield and drove to the cage before dumping it off to Tyler Leachman, who scored 6:44 into the second half and gave Virginia an 8-3 lead. On the next Patriot possession, Pinney and Urlock executed a double team and got the ball back for the Cavaliers, who worked the ball up to Appelt, who rolled the crease and scored two minutes after Leachman, giving Virginia a 9-3 lead and forcing the Patriots to call a timeout.

George Mason then scored the next two goals as Berger connected on a feed from Bryant, and eight minutes later Kristy Manas converted a Kate Scott pass to pull within four at 9-5 with 8:34 to play in the game.

Erin Sweeney then picked up an overthrow by Mason, and at the other end of the field Leachman rolled the crease for her second goal of the game, giving Virginia a 10-5 lead with 6:08 to play.

Appelt’s two assists give her 20 this year, marking the third consecutive year that she has reached 20 goals and 20 assists. She now has 79 points this season, tying her with three-time world champion Cherie Greer for seventh in points in a single season. Her 66 career assists tie her with Banks for fourth all-time at Virginia, and they both sit four assists out of third, held by Anna (Yates) McDermott. Pfeiffer now has 472 career saves and sits just two saves from tying Virginia great Heather Dow. Thalenberg now ranks eighth in career draw controls, just one behind Virginia All-American Gina Sambus. Banks’ three draw controls today give her 115, and she passed Cavalier All-American Elaine Maddox into fourth all-time and sits just four behind another All-American, Jamie Haas.

Virginia returns to action on Saturday, April 17 as they face second-ranked Loyola at 7:00.

Linescore	1	2	F	recordsGeo. Mason	3	2	5	(4-6)Virginia	6	4	10	(11-3)

Scoring summary:1:09 G Bryant (Hagan) 0-15:41 V Thalenberg (Leachman) 1-17:07 G Berger (Scott) 1-27:43 V Thalenberg (Appelt) 2-211:59 G Bryant (Hagan) 2-314:13 V Haas 3-319:02 V Haas 4-325:45 V Appelt 5-328:24 V Thalenberg (Wasilewski) 6-331:13 V Thalenberg (Appelt) 7-336:44 V Leachman (Banks) 8-338:07 V Appelt 9-343:37 G Berger (Bryant) 9-451:26 G Manas (Scott) 9-553:52 V Leachman 10-5

Goals: V: Thalenberg 4, Appelt 2, Haas 2, Leachman 2 G: Bryant 2, Berger 2, Manas

Assists: V: Appelt 2, Leachman, Wasilewski, Banks G: Hagan 2, Scott 2, Bryant

Goalies: V: Pfeiffer (60 mins, 9 saves, 5 GA) G: Meg Dentler (60 mins, 16 saves, 10 GA)

Draws: V 11, G 6Shots: V 30, G 258-meter attempts: V 0, G 18-meter shots: V 0, G 1Ground balls: V 35, G 24Turnovers: V 25, G 27caused turnovers: V 14, G 17Fouls: V 17, G 10Clearing: V 13-20, G 21-29