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UVa Rolls Past Vermont, 7-2
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The 11th-ranked Virginia field hockey team (3-0) tallied eight goals, including two from both third-year Traci Ragukas and first-year Michelle Vittese, to beat Vermont 8-2 Friday at the UHall Turf Field. Inge Kaars Sijpestein, Paige Selenski and Floor Vogels also scored for the Orange and Blue.
UVa’s seven goals are the most during head coach Michele Madison’s tenure.
Virginia got on the board seven minutes into the contest, when Kaars Sijpestien tallied her first goal of the season on an assist from second-year Shelly Edmonds. Less than five minutes later, at 12:02, Selenski scored on a penalty stroke, her third goal of the year. It was also UVa’s second goal via penalty stroke this year.
Ragukas then scored her first of three goals at 18:31 on an assist from Vittese. Vermont (0-2) got on the board at 28:20 when Maegan Luce tallied her first of two goals on the day.
Vogels, a native of Nijmengen, Netherlands, scored her first goal as a collegiate player at 29:22 on a penalty corner. Vittese pushed the ball out to fourth-year Lucy Meyers, who then tapped it over to Vogels for the score. The Cavaliers led 4-1 at halftime.
“Floor gave us ability in the middle,” Madison said. “She put the first ball in good position. Haley (Carpenter) and Traci (Ragukas) also played well. Paige created a lot of goal-scoring opportunities and Kaitlyn (Hiltz) drew corners and penetrated the circle well.”
Kaars Sijpestein fed Vittese for her first score of the game early in the second half to give Virginia a 5-1 advantage. Ragukas then scored her second of the game before assisting Vittese to give the Cavaliers a 7-1 lead. Luce tallied her second goal of the game and third of the season at 49:28 for the Catamounts.
“Michelle created so much,” Virginia associate head coach Chris Spice said. “When she throws the pass early she creates so many opportunities for other people. Paige’s work in defense was awesome today. It was her work in transition that really made some things happen for us. Lauren (Elstein) really defended well in the first half and was a rock in the back.”
Virginia outshot Vermont 29-4 in the game, with 20 of those shots coming on target. Catamount goalkeeper Kristen Heavens tallied 11 saves.
The Cavaliers also managed 17 short corner opportunities compared to one for Vermont.
UVa is back in action at 1 p.m. Sunday against in-state rival and eighth-ranked Old Dominion.