Cavaliers Just Miss NCAA Semifinals With Loss to Wake Forest 3-2
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Nov. 12, 2006
The Virginia field hockey team put up a strong fight for a berth in the NCAA semifinals against Wake Forest, but the Cavaliers fell to the top-ranked Demon Deacons 3-2 today (Nov. 12) in Winston-Salem. Virginia drew even with the Deacs in the 68th minute but a Wake Forest goal less than a minute later proved to be the game-winner for Wake Forest (20-1). Virginia (14-8) was led by Kat Blair’s 14 saves.
Although Wake Forest got on the board first as Lauren Crandall scored on a short corner in the fifth minute of play, the Cavaliers stormed right back as Inge Kaars Sijpestiejn sent the pass back up the field to Mia Link, who in turn led a pass to Fenna Breitbarth. Breitbarth passed the ball into the circle where Lindsay O’Bannon tipped it into the cage, scoring 14 seconds after Wake to tie the game. Virginia continued to put pressure on the Wake 25, but on Wake’s eighth corner of the half Chelsea Cipriani scored on direct corner from Michelle Kasold and Jamie Whitten, putting the Deacs up 2-1 going into the half.
Wake Forest continued to attack in the second half but the back four for Virginia kept the Deacs at bay, thanks in large part to eight saves by Blair. But it was the Cavaliers who were able to get on the board first in the second half as Kaars Sijpesteijn sent a ball up the right side of the pitch to Traci Ragukas, who was fouled hard outside the circle, sending the Cavaliers to the short corner. On the play, Biffy Cornelison sent the ball in to Abby Taylor, who stopped it for Kaars Sijpesteijn. The second-year sent the ball to the boards for the equalizer in the 68th minute. Wake Forest drove right upfield and was able to get a pass over to Chelsea Cipriani, whose shot from then top of the circle snuck past Blair for the game-winner in the 69th minute.
“We are very proud of our team’s performance today,” said head coach Michele Madison.
With the loss, the Cavaliers close out the competition portion of the 2006 season. Post-season honors will be released in the upcoming weeks.
Linescore 1 2 F (records)Virginia 1 1 2 (14-8)Wake Forest 2 1 3 (20-1)
Scoring summary:4:03 WF Crandall, pc (Kasold, Whitten)4:17 VA O’Bannon, fg (Breitbarth)32:33 WF Cipriani, pc (Kasold, Whitten)67:27 VA Kaars Sijpesteijn, pc (Cornelison, Taylor)68:50 WF Cipriani, fg
Keepers: VA: Blair (70 mins, 14 saves, 3 GA) WF: Crystal Duffield (70 mins, 1 save, 2 GA)
Shots: VA 5, WF 21Short corners: VA 3, WF 13Incidents: VA Bounds, gc, 58′; WF: Crandall, gc, 57′