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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers (5-1, 1-1 ACC) will play host to conference-rival North Carolina in a 1 p.m. ACC contest Sunday afternoon, playing in Klckner Stadium. The third-ranked Tar Heels enter the weekend without facing an ACC team yet this season, but bring a 6-1 record into the match-up. Livestats for the event can be found on www.VirginiaSports.com, while a live webcast of the event can be accessed through www.ACCSelect.com.
Last year, the two squads faced three times throughout the season. North Carolina won the regular season game in Charlottesville, 16-7. The two then met in the finals of the ACC Tournament, with Virginia upsetting the hosts for the tournament title, 12-6. Twenty days later, the two met for a third time, this time in the NCAA Tournament, played in Charlottesville. Kate Breslin and junior Ashley McCulloch led the Cavaliers to a 14-8 win over UNC.
Thanks to winning two of those meetings, the Cavaliers now hold a one game advantage in the all-time series, at 10-9.
North Carolina raced out to a 4-0 start to this season before dropping an 8-7 decision to Penn at home. The Tar Heels have won their last two games though, over Vanderbilt and Oregon. Corey Donohoe leads the attack with 25 points, scoring 21 goals with four assists. Meg Freshwater leads the midfield with 20 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers.
In goal, Amanda Barnes is allowing 8.50 goals per game, while stopping .427 percent of opponents’ shots.
For Virginia, this marks just the second home game for the squad. The Cavaliers’ 13-8 win over No. 4 Syracuse to open the season marked Virginia’s 200th win at home, improving the Cavaliers’ all-time record in Charlottesville to 200-52-2 (.791). Under head coach Julie Myers, Virginia owns a 95-24 (.798) mark at home.
Virginia has recorded four undefeated seasons at home. In 1977 squad, the second varsity team in program history put up a 4-0 mark. The 1992 team then went 9-0 at home and the 1994 team followed that up with a 6-0 mark in Charlottesville. In 1996, the Cavaliers were an unblemished 8-0.
Junior Ashley McCulloch leads Virginia’s offense with 24 points, on nine goals and a team-high 15 assists so far this year. Senior Kendall McBrearty leads the defense with 15 ground balls, and leads the league with a 7.85 GAA and a .483 save percentage.
In the midfield, sophomore Brittany Kalkstein leads the way with 13 goals, 12 ground balls and 17 draw controls.
This past Wednesday in Williamsburg, the Cavaliers picked up their third win over an in-state opponent on the road. Virginia came away with a 14-11 win over William & Mary, its seventh straight win over the Tribe. Junior Katie Shannon tallied her first career goal in the contest.
Up next for the Cavaliers, they’ll take a break from midweek games before heading to Princeton for a 1 p.m. contest on next Saturday.