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Aug 22, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia field hockey team defeated William & Mary 2-1 in a preseason scrimmage Thursday (Aug. 22) at Turf Field.

Senior forward Hadley Bell (Shaker Heights, Ohio) scored the game winner 12 minutes into the second half.

The scrimmage, which served as a preseason warmup for both squads, also included a ten-minute 7-on-7 scoreless overtime period and a stoke-off. The teams were knotted 2-2 in the stroke-off.

All nine of the Virginia first-years saw playing time in the game. Tollie Bell (Norfolk, Va.), who sat out last season after transferring from North Carolina, also saw action.

In the regulation game, the Cavaliers took a 1-0 lead when senior forward Elly Buckley (Scarborough, Perth, Australia) scored off a penalty corner 23:07 into the first half. William & Mary had a chance to tie the game when they earned a penalty corner opportunity in the final seconds of the initial period. Junior goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone (Paisley, Scotland) made a save on the initial shot off the corner, but the Tribe’s Jesse Ebner picked up the rebound and knocked the ball into the goal to send the teams to the locker room knotted at one.

With lightning in the area, the game had an extended halftime period, going into an hour-long weather delay.

After play resumed, freshman Megan Kelly (Phoenixville, Pa.), positioned on the right side of the goal, found a wide-open Bell on the left side. Bell knocked in a shot to give the Cavaliers a 2-1 lead 12 minutes into the second period.

Johnstone ended the game with three saves. Junior Kelsey LeBlanc (Haverford, Pa.) logged a defensive save on the first shot of the game. Senior defender Katie Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.) also came up with a key block on a shot early in the first half. Both William & Mary goalkeepers, Cate Johnson and Meredith Savage, logged seven saves apiece.

Virginia outshot the Tribe 23-8 and held an 11-4 advantage on corners.

The 2013 Virginia field hockey season officially gets underway on Friday, Aug. 30 when the Cavaliers host Louisville at 6 p.m. at Turf Field. UVa closes out the opening weekend by hosting Penn State on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. The Penn State game is also one of four contests during the regular season that will be streamed live online as part of the Cavaliers Live subscription package through VirginiaSports.com.

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