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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s lacrosse team will conclude its three-game road swing with a trip to Williamsburg, Va., on Wednesday, March 12. The Cavaliers will face William & Mary in the series’ 43rd meeting, at 7 p.m., on Albert-Daly Field. It marks the third in-state opponent the Cavaliers have faced this season on the road.
Virginia leads the all-time series with a 24-17-1 advantage, but it was the Tribe who handed the Cavaliers its first-ever loss, dating back to 1976. William & Mary marked the first opponent in Virginia’s first year of being a varsity program. The Tribe traveled to Charlottesville, and left with a 10-7 loss. The Cavaliers won their next six games and finished with an 8-4-1 record that year.
William & Mary and Virginia have met every year since 1976, with the only tie coming in 1977. On April 19, in Williamsburg, the two teams finished with six goals apiece. The Cavaliers hold the all-time record advantage in Williamsburg, at 10-5-1.
Under current head coach Julie Myers, Virginia is 12-1 against William & Mary, including holding a current six-game win streak over the Tribe.
Last season, the Cavaliers put together a dominating 60 minutes of play to defeat William & Mary, 12-3. Sophomore Brittany Kalkstein led the way for Virginia, with four goals and an assist, while the Cavalier defense held the Tribe to just six shots the entire contest.
This season, William & Mary (2-4) is currently on a four-game losing skid. The Tribe opened the season with wins over Binghamton and Longwood before dropping contests to No. 3 Duke, Virginia Tech, Richmond and No. 19 Penn State this past Sunday.
Jaime Sellers leads the Tribe with 29 points this season. She has also won 20 draw controls, while Grace Golden has 13 goals, 17 ground balls and won 14 draw controls.
In goal, Emily Geary has stopped .390 percent of opponent’s shots and is letting in 14.64 goals per contest.
For the Cavaliers, junior Ashley McCulloch is leading the attack with 21 points, dishing out a team-high 13 assists. Kalkstein leads the team with 12 goals, 15 draw controls and 12 ground balls. Senior Megan O’Malley has 10 goals and senior Alice Hughey has a team-high seven caused turnovers.
In goal for Virginia, senior Kendall McBrearty is letting in 7.20 goals per game, while stopping .521 percent of shots faced. She leads the ACC in both categories, and is second in saves per game.
The Cavaliers will return home this Sunday, March 15, playing host to ACC-rival No. 7 North Carolina. Virginia and UNC faced three times last season, with the Cavaliers dropping the regular season contest, but upset the Tar Heels for the ACC Championship, and met again in the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played in Klckner Stadium at 1 p.m.