No. 20 JMU Uses Last Second Goal to Defeat No. 5 Virginia
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 20 James Madison women’s lacrosse team used a string of three-unanswered goals, including a game-winning score with 11 seconds remaining, to come-from-behind and upset No. 5 Virginia, 10-9, Wednesday evening in Klöckner Stadium.
Senior All-American Brittany Kalkstein led the Cavaliers with three goals and one assist, while sophomore Josie Owen and senior All-American Kaitlin Duff had two goals each. Redshirt sophomore Ainsley Baker and sophomore Julie Gardner both contributed one score, while sophomore Charlie Finnigan rounded out the scoring with a career-high three assists.
For James Madison (7-1), Kim Griffin notched a game-high four goals, including the game winner. Mary Kate Lomady and Ashley Kimener added two goals each for the Dukes.
Virginia (6-3) looked to control the game early in the opening half, jumping out to a 4-1 advantage just 10 minutes into play. Duff notched the games first score at 27:57, marking the 17th straight contest the midfielder has scored in a contest. JMU then evened the score at one apiece with a goal just shy of a minute later, but Kalkstein, Baker and Owen rattled off three-unanswered goals for the Cavaliers to give Virginia a 4-1 lead and force the Dukes to call a timeout with 20:30 on the clock.
Out of the short break, James Madison rallied to score three-straight goals, and four total, in the next 10 minutes, while the Cavaliers were only able to find one score – from Duff at 9:54, bringing the score to five all with 9:01 remaining in the half. The score would remain the same through the intermission and up until the 21:13 mark of the second half, when Kalkstein scored on a pass from Owen to give Virginia a one-goal advantage, 6-5.
The Cavaliers extended their lead to two at 15:45 with a goal from Gardner, assisted by Finnigan, before the Dukes found their first of the half out of a timeout.
Baker won the ensuing draw control and found Finnigan who weaved a pass between JMU defenders and found Kalkstein, who scored 11 seconds after the Dukes’ goal, giving Virginia an 8-6 lead with 13:57 left to play.
James Madison converted a free position shot at 11:53, before Owen found the back of the net, firing an 8-meter shot past the Dukes’ keeper at 11:27.
It wouldn’t be enough to quiet the Dukes though, as they recorded back-to-back goals to even the score at nine all with 2:32 to play, before Griffin scored the game winner for James Madison with 11 seconds remaining in the contest.
The Cavaliers were led defensively by Kalkstein, who had four ground balls, three caused three turnovers and four draw controls. Sophomore Annie Taylor, Baker, Gardner and Owen each earned three ground balls for Virginia.
The Cavaliers will return to action on Saturday as they head to No. 3 Duke for a 1 p.m. contest at Koskinen Stadium.