Third-Ranked Virginia Outlasts No. 16 ODU, 5-2

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Junior Paige Selenski scored a career-high four goals in the third-ranked Virginia field hockey team’s 5-2 victory over No. 16 Old Dominion (1-4) Sunday at the Turf Field. Sophomore Tara Puffenberger also scored for the Orange and Blue.

Old Dominion’s penalty corner goal at 42:05 tied the game at two apiece, and it remained that way until the 57th minute, when UVa’s Michelle Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) flicked the ball up for Puffenberger (Dallas, Pa.) to deflect into the cage on a penalty corner opportunity. That goal was one of three the Cavaliers would score in the final 14 minutes of the game, en route to the 5-2 victory.

It was the third career hat trick for Selenski (Shavertown, Pa.), who also scored three times in a single game as a sophomore in 2009. The All-American and All-ACC honoree has seven goals in three games this season.

Virginia outshot ODU 12-10 in the game, despite being outshot in the second half, 8-5. The Monarchs recorded 11 penalty corners, including nine in the second stanza alone, while UVa took eight corners.

Virginia got on the board exactly one minute into the game, when Puffenberger drove the ball down the center of the field and found an open Selenski to her left, giving the Cavaliers an early 1-0 lead.

Selenski made it 2-0 in the 16th minute on a penalty stroke.

Four and a half minutes later, the Monarchs were able to cut the lead in half. On a penalty corner, Paige Clutter injected the ball to Alyschia Conn. Conn set it up for Loran Hatch, whose shot from the top of the circle got past the UVa defense for a goal. It was 2-1 in favor of the Cavaliers at halftime.

ODU came out in the second half and tied the game in the 43rd minute, scoring on the exactly same setup as its earlier penalty corner goal. Hatch recorded the score and Clutter and Conn were both credited with assists.

Virginia was able to rally late in the game, sparked by Puffenberger’s eventual game-winning goal in the 57th minute. Four minutes later, Selenski recorded her third score of the game after a long clear from teammate Chloe Pendlebury (Perth, Australia). On the breakaway, Selenski beat ODU’s Marla Petriello one-on-one for the score.

Then in the 69th minute, Selenski struck again. After a pass into the middle, she dribbled around the defender and fired off a shot that found the back of the cage.

Virginia’s Kim Kastuk (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) tallied five saves while Petriello finished with two stops for the Monarchs.

The Cavaliers play host to Northwestern at 3 p.m. Monday at the Turf Field. A free postgame clinic run by Virginia coaches and players will be held following the game with the Wildcats.