Cavaliers Defeat Rutgers 2-1

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LouisvilleThe Cavaliers connected on a pair of short corners in the second half and held the Scarlet Knights to just one goal as Virginia defeated Rutgers 2-1 today in Louisville. After a scoreless first half, No. 15/19 Virginia (7-5) scored on a short corner with 20 minutes to play to take a 1-0 lead. The Scarlet Knights (7-7) tied the game on a scramble with three minutes to play, but Virginia answered with a second goal off a short corner a minute later to get the lead and the win. Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn scored both goals on direct strikes off of injections by Lauren Elstein and stops by Abby Taylor.
Amy Desjadon’s five saves in the first half stymied the Rutgers attack, which had eight shots and one corner in the opening frame. At the other end of the field, the Cavaliers generated one corner and four shots, all of which were saved by Rutgers’ Leslie Kelly.
After a lead pass for Virginia sailed over the endline, giving the Scarlet Knights a 16-yard hit, Traci Ragukas stole the ball at the 25 and got the ball to Kaitlyn Hiltz in the circle, who drew a short corner with just over 20 minutes left in regulation. On the corner, Kaars Sijpesteijn found the corner for the 1-0 goal at 49:11.
The Scarlet Knights tied the game at 66:34 when Jenna Bull stuck the ball in the cage following a scramble in the Virginia circle.
Following the centre pass, Rutgers gained control and attacked, but Elstein made the tackle in the corner and sent the ball to Kaars Sijpestiejn, who passed the ball back to Traci Ragukas. Ragukas sent the ball up to Taylor Swezey at the opposite 25; Swezey attacked the circle. Kelly cleared the ball out wide to her right, but Virginia’s Haley Carpenter was there to re-attack. Carpenter was fouled and drew a short corner. Again Kaars Sijpesteijn converted, putting UVa back on top at 68:11.
Desjadon and Devon Burnley combined for seven saves while Kelly had six for Rutgers; both teams drew five short corners, with both taking four in the second half.
Virginia returns to action tomorrow (Oct. 7) as the Cavaliers play host Louisville at 2 p.m.

Linescore 1 2 F (records)
Virginia 0 2 2 (7-5)
Rutgers 0 1 1 (7-7)

Scoring summary
49:11 VA pc Kaars Sijpesteijn (Elstein, Taylor) 1-0
66:34 RU fg Bull 1-1
68:11 VA pc Kaars Sijpesteijn (Elstein, Taylor) 2-1

Keepers: VA: Desjadon (35 mins, 5 saves, 0 GA); Burnley (35 mins, 2 saves, 1 GA)
RU: Kelly (70 mins, 6 saves, 2 GA)

Shots: VA 9, RU 15
Short corners: VA 5, RU 5