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March 30, 2007
The Virginia women’s lacrosse team, ranked fourth in all the major polls, will draw against ACC rival and fifth-ranked Duke on Saturday, March 31 at noon in Klockner Stadium. The Cavaliers (9-1, 2-1 ACC) are coming off a 16-13 win over in-state rival James Madison, ranked sixth this week, in which the `Hoos rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Dukes in Harrisonburg. Duke (8-1, 1-1 ACC) is riding a four-game winning streak, including a 16-7 win over Virginia Tech last Saturday in Durham.
This matchup is a classic Virginia-Duke contest; as usual, the Cavaliers feature one of the top defenses in the nation and are ranked third in scoring defense heading into the contest. Virginia’s keeper, Kendall McBrearty, ranks in the top-five in goals-against average and 15th in save percentage in her first full year of starting. Her defense, led by US team members Jessy Morgan and Jen Holden, has limited the opposition to 20 shots per game and has surrendered only 30 8-meter attempts through 10 games. Duke ranks fifth in scoring offense and is led by US teammate Caroline Cryer.
The Virginia midfield is led by co-captain Jess Wasilewski and US team member Megan O’Malley and a pair of first years, Brittany Kalkstein and Kaitlin Duff. Kalkstein and Duff rank 1-2 nationally in draw controls; Duff also leads the Cavaliers in ground balls and caused turnovers and was named the National Rookie of the Week earlier this year. Kalkstein ranks fourth on the team in scoring and is poised to break into the top-10 all-time for scoring as a first year with 24 points (19g 5a). The Virginia midfield has held the opposition to 66% on clears while connecting on 75%.
Virginia’s offense is ranked 17th nationally and is averaging over 13 goals a game. Kate Breslin, who scored six goals and added two assists in the win over JMU, ranks 29th nationally and has 46 points already through 10 games. Teammate Blair Weymouth, the reigning National Rookie of the Year, stands right behind her with 38 points. Ashley McCulloch has started all 10 games and leads the Cavaliers with 15 assists, which ranks her eighth all-time already among second years. McCulloch ranks 23rd nationally in assists per game.
The Cavaliers are riding a three-game win streak over the Blue Devils, starting with the 2005 NCAA semifinals. Virginia upset Duke twice in 2006; the Cavaliers were the first team to beat the Blue Devils, notching an 11-10 win the week Duke moved to No. 1 in the polls. The `Hoos also beat Duke 13-8 for the 2006 ACC title, marking the second time in three years that the Cavaliers had upset the Blue Devils to win the conference title.