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No. 9 Virginia Shuts Out William & Mary
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Sept. 11, 2012
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The No. 9 Virginia field hockey team handed William & Mary its first loss of the season, shutting out the Tribe 2-0.Rachel Sumfest (So., Lewisburg, Pa.) started the game with a goal one minute into the contest. Sumfest was positioned at the front of the goal, knocking in a cross from Phoebe Willis (Sr., Fredericksburg, Va.) to give the Cavaliers the 1-0 advantage.
After the quick Cavalier score, William & Mary went on the attack, rattling off 14 shots in the first half, but freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Holden (Fishing Creek, N.J.) held strong, logging eight saves in the period.
In the second half, the game was more balanced with both teams pushing the ball up and down the field. Virginia got off five shots with Sumfest capitalizing on the fifth, scoring her second goal of the game on a feed from Michelle Vittese (R-Sr., Cherry Hill, N.J.) with 2:30 remaining in the game.
“With an interstate rivalry like this, both teams showed up to play,” said head coach Michele Madison. “The game was end-to-end, so it was exciting for the fans. They were really into it. In the second half, we stayed more composed and were able to hit the open areas up field.”
Sumfest scored two goals on three shots. She now has seven goals this season with three assists for 17 points. Willis had her first assist of the season. Vittese logged her fourth assist.
Holden played 44 minutes in goal, with eight saves. Jenny Johnstone (So., Paisley, Scotland) played the final 25 minutes of the game, not facing a shot on goal.
“Becca gets better every game,” Madison said of her freshman keeper. “This was her kind of game. It’s a little bouncy and a little erratic. She secured us in the back. We just wanted Jenny to play too. It was an exciting game and both of them have to grow and keep getting better and say sharp. This was an opportunity to do that.”
In addition to the strong play in the net, the Cavalier defense also held strong to help secure the shut out.
“Katie Robinson was also phenomenal today with solo tackles,” Madison said. “Chloe Pendlebury was also great on defense today.”
The Cavaliers will be back home on Saturday, Sept. 15 when they host Miami (Ohio) at 11 a.m. on National Field Hockey Day. Admission is free for all regular-season home games played at Turf Field.