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No. 3 Virginia Beats No. 4 Wake Forest in OT Thriller
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Michelle Vittese scored the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke in overtime to give the third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (13-1) a 3-2 win over No. 4 Wake Forest (8-4). The Cavaliers came from behind to win in front of a season-high 502 fans at the University Hall Turf Field.
The win over the Demon Deacons was the first for Virginia since 1998, as Wake had claimed the previous 14 meetings between the two teams.
“Wake Forest is a great team,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. “We beat one of the top teams in the country. That was a stepping stone for us. It’s just another step for us in the right direction and we are looking to build on it.”
After trailing 2-1 in the second half, Virginia’s Inga Stöckel tied the game at two in the 61st minute, converting on a penalty corner. Teammates Traci Ragukas and Charlotte van den Broek assisted on the play.
Then just 2:55 into overtime, sophomore Paige Selenski had one person to beat on a breakaway, when a penalty stroke was awarded to the Cavaliers. Vittese took the stroke and put it past Wake Forest’s Kaitlyn Ruhf.
Virginia outshot Wake Forest 12-8 for the game, including a 3-0 shot advantage in overtime. The Deacons had seven penalty corners to UVa’s six.
“We knew we had attack opportunities so we were just trying to capitalize on them,” Madison said. “We had two one-on-ones with the goalie and weren’t able to put it away, but we knew we were able to break free. It is about believing in it, doing it, and keeping the ball moving.”
Junior Kim Kastuk tallied five saves in the cage while Ruhf finished with two.
Selenski put the Cavaliers up 1-0 just 12 minutes into the game on an unassisted breakaway where she beat two defenders and before putting it between the pipes.
Wake Forest would tie the game eight minutes later on a penalty corner, when Liza Casella put it past Kastuk on assists from Lauren Greenwald and Melissa Martin. The game was tied 1-1 at halftime.
In the second half, the Demon Deacons took a 2-1 advantage at 45:46 on another penalty corner opportunity. This time Casella hit the ball toward Lizzie Rae, who tipped it in for the score.
The Cavaliers return to action Tuesday at Longwood. Game time is set for 4 p.m.