Cavaliers Play Host to Top-Ranked Maryland Friday
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The third-ranked Virginia field hockey team (9-0, 1-0 ACC) plays host to top-ranked Maryland (8-1, 2-0 ACC) at 5 p.m. Friday at the University Hall Turf Field. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free Virginia field hockey t-shirt and free Domino’s pizza and Pepsi also will be available, while supplies last.
The Cavaliers are coming off a five-game road swing. Last weekend, UVa opened Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 3-2 overtime victory at Boston College before earning a 5-2 victory at Cornell. Junior Paige Selenski notched the game-winner in overtime against the Eagles and went on to contribute two goals and an assist against the Big Red. She was one of 10 national players selected to the womensfieldhockey.com honor roll, announced Monday.
Selenski leads the conference with 14 goals on the year and is tied for first in the conference with Maryland senior Katie O’Donnell with 31 points.
Newcomer Elly Buckley, who for the first time will play against her sister, Jemma, a Maryland midfielder, has made an immediate impact for the Cavaliers with seven goals and six assists on the year. Sophomore Tara Puffenberger has contributed five goals and three assists while junior Michelle Vittese has scored four times.
In the cage, senior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk leads the ACC with a .857 save percentage and ranks second in both saves (36) and goals against average (1.09).
The Terrapins are coming off their first setback of the year, a 4-2 loss at fourth-ranked Princeton on Tuesday night. Maryland has recorded conference wins over Boston College (4-2) and Wake Forest (5-3).
O’Donnell, a U.S. National Team teammate of Selenski and Vittese, leads the ACC with 13 assists and also ranked third with nine goals. Freshman Jill Whitner, already a two-time ACC Player of the Week, has recorded eight goals and three assists while Jemma Buckley a junior, chips in seven goals and four assists on the year. Goalkeeper Melissa Vassalotti registers a .625 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average in the cage for the Terrapins.
Maryland holds the all-time series advantage over Virginia, 35-19-2. The teams met twice last season and the Terrapins topped the Cavaliers in both contests. UVa was defeated in the regular season 3-1 in College Park, Md., and lost 3-2 in the ACC Championship game in Charlottesville, Va.
The Terps have won the last 13 meetings between the two schools; the last time Virginia earned a victory over Maryland was Sept. 30, 2001, a 3-2 win decided in penalty strokes in College Park.