Cavs Defeat Boston College 3-2 In Extra Time, Advance to ACC Semis

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The Virginia field hockey team held host Boston College, ranked 14th nationally, to only five shots in the game and roared from behind to defeat the fourth-seeded Eagles 3-2 after extra time today in Newton Centre. After No. 11 Virginia (11-8) tied the game with 2:06 to play in regulation, the Cavaliers withered a final BC (12-8) push to send the game to the extra session. In the extra time, Virginia never lost the ball and scored one minute in for the victory on a goal by Lauren Elstein.

The defense, led by Abby Taylor, Shelly Edmonds, Lucy Meyers and Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn, surrendered only two short corners, while at the other end of the pitch the Cavaliers drew 10 short corners and took 21 shots. Traci Ragukas scored both of the Cavalier goals during regulation. Boston College was led by Julia Berkowitz, who had ten saves in the contest while Bob Dirks

The Eagles scored in the first minute of play on a short corner option as the ball went out to Bob Dirks, who sent it over to Chelsey Feole, who scored on the option left for a quick 1-0 lead.

The Cavaliers tied the game on a well-featured run of play that saw Virginia take the ball up the right side of the pitch. After an Eagle foul, the Hoos took a free hit and Katherine Bounds took a shot that lifted into the air. Ragukas was there to bat the ball into the cage at 3:48 for a 1-1 tie. Virginia drew six corners over the next 31 minutes but did not put the ball in the cage, and despite holding the Eagles to one shot over the rest of the period, the teams entered the break tied 1-1.

The Eagles took the lead again in the 43rd minute on their only short corner of the second half as Bob Dirks converted a low flick to the boards off assists from Katie Quaglia and Brenna Leahy.

With time winding down, the Virginia forwards forced a number of turnovers and drew a 10th short corner as Kaitlyn Hiltz took the ball into the circle and forced a foul. On the play, the original shot by Kaars Sijpesteijn was blocked and popped out to Taylor, whose shot was saved. Haley Carpenter collected the ball and sent it over to Ragukas, who sent the ball into the nets at 68:01, tying the game at 2-2. BC took the centre pass and attacked the pitch, drawing a free hit just outside the circle. The hit was tipped into the nets by a Virginia defender with 15.7 seconds to play, giving the Eagles a long corner. The Cavaliers successfully defended the entrance, and the teams went to the extra session.

In extra time, the Cavaliers took the centre pass and went up the right side of the pitch where they entered the circle and got a long corner. Taylor tapped the ball to Kaars Sijpesteijn, who sent the ball into the circle where Ragukas tipped the ball into the feet of a BC defender. The ball popped over to Elstein, whose initial shot was saved. She was there, however, to send the rebound into the cage at 71:00 for the win.

With the win, the Cavaliers advance to the semifinals for the second consecutive year. In the game Virginia will face top-ranked and top-seeded UNC at 4 p.m.

UVa 3, BC 2, aet

Linescore 1 2 et F (records)
Virginia 1 1 1 3 (11-8)
Boston C. 1 1 0 2 (12-8)

Scoring summary
0:46 BC pc Feole (Dirks) 0-1
3:48 VA fg Ragukas (Bounds) 1-1
42:32 BC pc Dirks (Quaglia, Leahy) 1-2
68:01 VA pc Ragukas (Carpenter) 2-2
71:00 VA fg Elstein (—) 3-2

Keepers: VA: Burnley (35 mins, 0 saves, 1 GA); Desjadon (36 mins, 1 save, 1 GA)
BC: Berkowitz (71 mins, 10 saves, 3 GA)

Shots: VA 21, BC 5
Short corners: VA 10, BC 2