No. 9 Virginia Hosts Miami (Ohio) on National Field Hockey Day

Story Links

Date and Time Saturday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m. Location Charlottesville, Va. | Turf Field
Live Stats GameTracker Additional Information 2012 Season Stats | Season Preview | Rule Changes for 2012 | 2012 Record Book (.pdf) Social Media Twitter | Facebook Cavalier Sport Weekly Feature Video Feature

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 9 Virginia field hockey team (6-2) will take Miami (Ohio) (2-4) on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. on Turf Field.Saturday’s game is part of USA Field Hockey’s National Field Hockey Day celebration.

The goal of National Field Hockey Day is to increase awareness of field hockey and inspire participation nationwide. The Cavaliers will be using social media to share field hockey fun facts during the day, so be sure to follow @uvafieldhockey to learn more some interesting and quirky facts about the sport.

Saturday’s game will also feature a special pregame recognition of head coach Michele Madison. Madison won the 300th game of her coaching career with the Cavaliers’ 5-4 victory over No. 3 Old Dominion on Sept. 2. Madison is just the 26th head coach in NCAA Division I history to hit the 300 win mark. Madison currently ranks tenth among active coaches in career wins. Madison won 56 games in four seasons at Temple, 155 games in 13 seasons at Michigan State, and 90 games so far in her seven seasons at UVa.

The Cavaliers come into the game after blanking William & Mary, 2-0, on Tuesday night. Freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Holden (Fishing Creek, N.J.) got eight saves in the game. Rachel Sumfest (So., Lewisburg, Pa.) scored her sixth and seventh goals of the season. She is currently third on the team in goals-scored and fourth with 17 points.

Paige Selenski (R-Sr., Shavertown, Pa.) leads the nation in points per game (5.0) and assists per game (1.33) in this week’s national statistical rankings. Selenski is third in goals per game with 1.83.

Selenski is currently in second place on the Cavalier career points list with 201 points, chasing the record of 230 career points set by Meredith Thorpe (1995-98). Selenksi is currently tied for second on the career goal list with 84. Thorpe also holds the record for career goals with 101.

Elly Buckley (Jr., Scarborough Perth, Australia) is fourth in the nation in points per game (3.43) and goals per game (1.43).

Buckley is also moving up the Cavalier career lists. She ranks ninth in career points (116) and ninth in career goals (46). She is two assists shy of tying for tenth with Meredith Ewell, who logged 26 assists from 1996-99.

As a team, the Cavaliers rank second in the NCAA in scoring average (4.71), goals per game (5.0), assists per game (4.29) and points per game (14.29). Virginia’s nine penalty corners per game ranks 13th among all NCAA Division I field hockey teams.

The RedHawks started the season with four straight losses, including a 1-0 loss at Michigan State. Miami upset No. 23 Ohio State last Sunday, Sept. 9 at Ohio State. Junior forward Emily Gruesser was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week, while junior goalkeeper Sarah Mueller was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Virginia has never lost to Miami, holding a perfect 6-0-0 record. The Cavaliers won, 2-1, last season in Ohio.

Admission is free for all 2012 regular season home games played at Turf Field.

White House Visit: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will honor the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams at the White House, Friday, Sept. 14. Paige Selenski and Michelle Vittese are among the USA field hockey team members who will be attending the event.