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Cavaliers Win Shootout Over Richmond 5-3
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Sept. 27, 2006
The Virginia field hockey team exploded for five goals in the game, including three by Lindsay O’Bannon, to defeat in-region rival Richmond 5-3 today in Richmond. The No.8 Cavaliers (8-3) scored early in both halves, including the opening goal in the first minute of play, to take early leads, but had to battle back after the No. 19 Spiders (5-4) tied the game twice. O’Bannon scored once in the first half and then twice in the second to notch her first career hat trick.
After an initial entry into the circle on the opening possession by the Spiders was saved by Katherine Blair, Virginia gained a 16-yard hit on the left side of the pitch. Biffy Cornelison tapped the ball to Erin Hayes, who sent a long ball through up to Liz Hiltz, the starting right forward. Hiltz drove to the endline and then centered a pass to center striker Traci Ragukas, who slammed the ball home just 55 seconds into the match.
The Cavaliers defended a pair of short corners by Richmond, and gained the 25 again before the Spiders mounted a counterattack. Richmond had a free hit on the left side of the pitch at midfield, but the cross was tipped by Lucy Meyers and laid off for Ragukas, who in turn led the ball forward to O’Bannon. O’Bannon took the ball into the D and eluded the keeper and scored in the 10th minute, putting Virginia up 2-0. Just minutes later Richmond got one of those goals back as Shannon Taylor rocketed a loose ball to the boards in the 12th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The two teams traded short corners and possession in the midfield before Richmond’s Lindsay Conrad found space in the upper left corner of the field and scored on a short angle shot to tie the game in the 25th minute of play. Richmond drew their fourth corner of the half but could not convert, sending the teams to the break tied at 2-2.
Again Virginia attacked early and Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn took control of the ball just below the Richmond 25 and passed it off to Abby Taylor, who in turn fed Mia Link the circle. Link sent a pass to the far left post where O’Bannon was waiting patiently to tap the ball in for her second goal of the game and a 3-2 lead for the Cavaliers. Richmond answered 58 seconds later as Conrad scored again with an attack from the right, tying the game in the 41st minute at 3-3.
The Hoos continued to press and gained the 25 where they drew a free hit just above the 25. Kaars Sijpesteijn found a foot in the circle and the Cavaliers drew a short corner. The injection by Cornelison was trapped by Taylor, and Kaars Sijpesteijn struck the ball to the boards in the 43rd minute for Virginia’s third lead of the game.
A Katherine Bounds steal just below the Richmond 25 was taken into the circle by Kaars Sijpesteijn where she drew a second consecutive short, but her direct strike was saved, keeping the margin at one.
Bounds was able to start the next scoring sequence, however, as she stole the ball in the Virginia 25 and sent the ball up to Ragukas, who found Fenna Breitbarth on the left side of the pitch. Breitbarth gained the 25 and entered the circle down low before crossing a pass to the far post, where O’Bannon converted it to notch the first hat trick of her career. The Cavaliers turned away four consecutive short corners by the Spiders to hold on for the win, 5-3.
“This is a huge result for us against a great in-region team,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “I am so proud of our team; they battled through the game and made the adjustments at halftime. It was a total team effort.”
The hat trick by O’Bannon is the second for the Cavaliers on the season after Kaars Sijpesteijn notched one against Radford. The five goals also equals a season-high for the Cavalier offense and ties the highest number surrendered by Richmond in 2006.
Virginia returns to action on Friday, Sept. 29 as they host the top-ranked Maryland Terrapins in a key ACC match. Game time is 6:00 pm.
Linescore 1 2 F recordsVirginia 2 3 5 (8-3)Richmond 2 1 3 (5-4)
Scoring summary0:55 UVa, Ragukas, fg (Hiltz)9:06 UVa, O’Bannon, fg (Ragukas)11:26 UR, Taylor, fg24:25 UR, Conrad, fg39:30 UVa, O’Bannon, fg (Link)40:28 UR, Conrad42:25 UVa, Kaars Sijpesteijn, pc (Taylor, Cornelison)59:26 UVa, O’Bannon, fg (Breitbarth)
Keepers: UVa: Katherine Blair (70 mins, 1 save, 3 GA) UR: Becca Weaver (70 mins, 3 saves, 5 GA)
Shots: VA 11, UR 12Short corners: VA 4, UR 8Incidents: Ragukas, GC, 13:50