Cavaliers Dominate Loyola
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BALTIMORE, Md. The No. 4 Virginia women’s lacrosse team continued its offensive dominance Saturday afternoon, defeating Loyola College, 19-8, at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field in Baltimore, Md.
Senior All-Americans Ashley McCulloch and Blair Weymouth led the way again. McCulloch tallied five goals and three assists, while Weymouth had four goals and two assists. Junior Kaitlin Duff had three goals and two assists, while winning a career-high six draw controls, and freshman Julie Gardner contributed three goals. Classmates Josie Owen and Caroline Cochran, redshirt freshman Ainsley Baker and junior Caity Whiteley each added one score. Freshman Bailey Fogarty contributed an assist.
McCulloch backed a wide Cavalier shot and dished it ahead to Gardner who found the back of the net just 24 seconds into play to open scoring. Loyola responded with a goal from Abby Rehfuss at 24:07 to even the score at 1-1.
Duff then sparked a four-goal run for Virginia with a score at 23:40. McCulloch notched her first goal of the game at 23:14, and then dished a pass to Weymouth, whose score at 22:03 forced the Greyhounds to call a timeout. Whiteley capped off the run, finishing a feed from Duff, at 19:35 to push the Cavaliers ahead 5-1.
A goal from Loyola’s Grace Gavin at 18:14 halted the streak, but Weymouth fired off back-to-back goals for Virginia, giving the Cavaliers a 7-2 advantage. Owen and Fogarty teamed for the Cavaliers next score, but Loyola would find the net for two-consecutive goals within a minute of each other to force the Cavaliers to call a timeout, at 8-4.
Gardner, Weymouth and McCulloch each tallied scores out of the break and senior goalkeeper Sara Hairfield stopped a shot in the final seconds of the opening half to keep the score at 11-4 heading into the intermission.
Out of the break, McCulloch and Duff each contributed two of the first five goals scored and redshirt junior Lauren Benner, in goal for the Cavaliers, blocked a wide open Greyhound shot to maintain Virginia’s 15-5 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Gardner tallied another score for Virginia, while Baker and Cochran each tallied their first collegiate goals in that remaining time.
Defensively, Duff caused a game-high four turnovers, while sophomore Liz Downs, Gardner and Weymouth each collected three ground balls. Senior Katie Shannon won three draw controls.
In the cage, Benner stopped six shots, while Hairfield collected two saves.
Up next for Virginia (2-0, 1-0 ACC) is a home game against Richmond. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Klckner Stadium.