Cavaliers Welcome Kent State, Louisville for Weekend Play
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The seventh-ranked Virginia field hockey team returns home for two weekend games beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday against Kent State. The Cavaliers then welcome No. 13 Louisville for a 1 p.m. contest Sunday at the University Hall Turf Field.
Virginia is 4-1 on the season and is coming off a 1-0 double overtime loss at No. 8 James Madison Wednesday.
Kent State, meanwhile, is 3-1 on the season after defeating St. Francis (Pa.) in its season-opener (9-0), losing at Ohio State (2-0) and beating Pacific (2-1) and Lock Haven (4-2) at home. The Golden Flashes have outscored their opponents 15-5 in four games this year and outshot opponents 73-39.
Debbie Bell and Rachel Miller lead the Kent State offensive attack, each having contributed four goals and a team-best 16 shots. Teammates Natalie Barrett and Chelsea Sickel have also scored two goals apiece. In the cage, Caroline Snitch has 19 saves on the year and a 1.25 goals against average.
Virginia is 1-0 in the all-time series with the Golden Flashes, as the two teams have never met in the regular season. The only meeting came in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers defeated Kent State 4-2 in a neutral site game held in College Park, Md. Virginia went on to make its first NCAA semifinal appearance that season.
Louisville has played all four of its games at home and is 3-1 on the year. The Cardinals defeated Duke (1-0), fell to Michigan State (6-1), then beat Ohio (4-1) and most recently Ohio State (5-1) on Wednesday night.
U of L’s Kayla May leads the offensive unit with five goals in four games this season. Teammate Tuli Lim has tallied three socres and Nicole Youman has also contributed two goals and a team-best three assists. Goalkeeper Heather Bustanoby has 17 saves in the cage for the Cardinals.
The Cavaliers lead the all-time series with U of L 2-1. The Cardinals claimed the last meeting between the two teams, which was last season in Louisville, 2-1 in extra time.
Live stats for both games will be available online at www.VirginiaSports.com.