Virginia Faces Penn State in Top-10 Showdown on Sunday

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The No. 10 Virginia field hockey (1-0) plays No. 7 Penn State (1-0) on Sunday, August 27 at 12 p.m. at University Hall Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va.

Live stats will be available through a GameTracker link on VirginiaSports.com. Admission is free for all of Virginia’s regular-season home field hockey games.

The Cavaliers opened the 2017 campaign with an 11-1 victory over Fairfield on Friday night. Senior midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) scored three goals as well as contributing three assists. It was the seventh time in program history that a player contributed nine or more points in a game. Vittese now ranks fourth in program history with 40 career assists.

Senior back Nadine de Koning (Laren, Netherlands) had four assists in the game. It was just the second time in program history that a UVA player contributed four assists, matching the total from Michelle Vissuso against Davidson in a 1997 game.

Eight players made their collegiate debuts in Friday’s game, including four true freshmen. Freshman midfielder Pien Dicke (Den Haag, Netherlands) made a huge splash in her first game, scoring a hat trick, with two of those goals coming in the first nine minutes of play. Dicke was one of three true-freshmen in the starting lineup. Midfielder Makayla Gallen (Glen Mills, Pa.) and back Rachel Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.) were also in the starting lineup with Robinson contributing three assists as the injector for UVA penalty corners. Camille Kane (Charlotte, N.C.) also made her debut, subbing in during the second half.

Four players made belated debuts. Sophomore forward Brooke Castleberry (Virginia Beach, Va.), who joined the team last spring, made her collegiate debut and scored the Cavaliers’ 11th goal of the game. Three players who were on the roster last year but did not play during the 2016 season were called to action on Friday including Carolyn Topps (Fredericksburg, Va.), Catesby Willis (Fredericksburg, Va.) and Hannah Cregg (Andover, Mass.).

The Cavaliers took 38 shots in the game. Fairfield took 14 with 11 coming in the second half.

Penn State, the 2016 Big Ten champions, finished last season with a 17-3 record, falling in the first round of the NCAA Championship. The Nittany Lions return seven starters from the 2016 season including preseason All-Big Ten selections in forward Aurelia Mijer, back Skyler Fretz and midfielder Gini Bramley. PSU opened the season on Friday by rallying for a 3-2 victory at No. 23 Old Dominion. Penn State scored three unanswered goals, including converting a penalty stroke in the 65th minute to tie the game and then scoring the game-winner with three minutes left in regulation.

The Cavaliers season-opening homestand continues next weekend when they host Columbia next Friday (Sept. 1) at 5 p.m. and Monmouth on Sunday (Sept. 3) at 1 p.m.

Updated Bag Policy
Put into place starting with this weekend’s athletic events (Aug. 25-27), Virginia athletics has updated its bag policies to mirror those already in place for Scott Stadium. At Klöckner Stadium, Turf Field and Memorial Gymnasium the following procedures have been put into effect.

All guests are subject to inspection and search for prohibited items. Event staff will examine the contents of bags, jackets, pockets, or any other personal item before admitting guests to the facility. In order to expedite entrance into the facility, it is recommended that guests not bring bags to events and arrive early at the facility entrances.

Prohibited Items
– Artificial noisemakers
– Balls, Frisbees, lacrosse sticks, and similar items
– Containers (including plastic or glass bottles, cans, coolers, or flasks)
– Food and beverages
– Weapons
*The University of Virginia reserves the right to prohibit any item deemed hazardous or disruptive to the athletics event or the enjoyment of the event by other guests.
The above procedures are designed to provide a safe and positive experience for all fans in attendance at Virginia athletics events.