No. 8 Cavaliers Fall to Top-Ranked Maryland 5-1
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Sept. 29, 2006
The Virginia field hockey team scored early in the contest against top-ranked Maryland, tying the game on a goal by first-year Traci Ragukas in the 13th minute, but the Terps remained undefeated by scoring the final four goals of the game to win 5-1. The Cavaliers (8-4, 1-2 ACC) held Maryland (11-0, 3-0 ACC) to one short corner in the first half, butVirginia was not able to get back on the boards.
Maryland got on the board with their first shot of the game, which came in the sixth minute of play. Berber Rischen deflected the hit towards the cage, and Nicole Muracco tipped the ball down and in, putting the Terps on the board first. Sara Scholl almost doubled the lead minutes later, but Katherine Blair knocked away the attempt to keep Virginia within one.
The Cavaliers notched the equalizer as a tackle along the left side of the pitch by Mia Link was sent up to Fenna Breitbarth, who in turn found Lindsay O’Bannon on the endline. O’Bannon attacked the circle and sent the ball to the stroke mark, where the first two attempts by Virginia were stopped by Kathryn Masson, but Ragukas was able to push the ball into the cage and knot the score at 1-1 in the twelfth minute.
With time winding down in the half, Maryland gained the 25 and had a free hit just outside the D. Ameliet Rischen took the pass, eluded a defender and the keeper, and sent the ball to the ball into the cage in the 33rd minute for a 2-1 Terp lead. Maryland drew their first corner of the game a minute later, but the direct strike by Infante was tipped into the air and saved by Blair, keeping the Cavaliers within one.
On Maryland’s first short of the second half, Kristina Edmonds started the variation to the left where Susie Rowe sent a ball into the cage for a 3-1 lead. The goal was only the third surrendered on a short corner by the Cavaliers all season. The Terps drew two more short corners in succession but Amy Desjadon was able to deny them on both occasions.
The Virginia offense was then able to generate two corners as a steal by Link led to a pass to Breitbarth, who gained the circle and drew a short corner. The direct strike was saved by Masson. A free hit by Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn found a foot, and again Virginia’s direct strike on the short corner was saved by Masson. The Terps then had to play down after Infante was sent off the pitch for a yellow card, and Virginia was able to draw a short corner when Lucy Meyers was fouled outside the circle, but the Cavaliers were not able to convert.
Consecutive interceptions by the Virginia midfield led to a pair of shots, but Masson was up to the task, denying the Cavaliers on successive shots. At the other end of the field, Infante fed Berber Rischen along the endline, who attacked and scored on a short angle in the 63rd minute to make the score 4-1. A corner in the final minute of play allowed Maryland to operate a variation to the right, in which Berber Rischen’s shot was tipped into the cage by Muracco, and the Terps closed the game with a 5-1 advantage.
“Some days, things go your way, and against a well-coached team like Maryland, you can’t afford any mistakes,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “They have a number of solid international players who have great stick skills, and that leads to a lot of possession.”
The Cavaliers return to action on Thursday, Oct 5 with a game against Pacific.
Linescore 1 2 F recordsMaryland 2 3 5 (11-0, 3-0 ACC)Virginia 1 0 1 (8-4, 1-2 ACC)
Scoring summary:5:04 MD, Muracco, fg (B RIschen)11:09 VA, Ragukas, fg31:14 MD, A Rischen, fg38:26 MD, Rowe, pc (Edmonds)62:15 MD, B. RIschen, fg (Infante)69:54, MD, Muracco, pc (B Rischen)
Keepers: VA: Katherine Blair (35 mins, 2 sv, 2 GA); Amy Desjadon (35 mins, 3 sv, 3 GA) MD: Kathryn Masson (70 mins, 7 saves, 1 GA)
Shots: VA 8, MD 11Short corners: VA 3, MD 7Incidents: MD: B Rischen, green, 23:08; Infante, yellow, 51:59 VA: Cornelison, yellow, 69:50