DURHAM, N.C. – The Virginia field hockey team (3-6, 2-3 ACC) suffered a 2-0 defeat at Duke (2-6, 1-4 ACC) on Saturday (Oct. 31) in both teams’ final game before the 2020 ACC Championship.

A pair of first-half goals off penalty corners provided all of the offense Duke would need in the game. It was the first time this season the Cavaliers failed to score a goal.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Duke struck early, scoring off a penalty corner just over two minutes into the game. The Cavalier defense kept the deficit to one goal until the Blue Devils scored off another penalty corner with just under four minutes remaining in the first half. Duke had seven corners in the first half, scoring off of two of them.

The third quarter was a battle in the midfielder with the two teams combining for just one shot, an attempt by junior back Amber Ezechiels (Niew-Vennep, Netherlands) five minutes into the period. The Cavaliers’ best chance to score came late in the fourth quarter when senior back Rachel Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.) swept a shot that hit the upper crossbar of the net. Freshman midfielder Anneloes Knol (Utrecht, Netherlands) corralled the rebound and fired off a hard shot of her own that was just wide of the mark.

FROM HEAD COACH MICHELE MADISON
“This was a hard fought game. We got down early and fought back hard. We were playing some great hockey, but nothing on the board to show for it. All we can do is just keep shooting and get that ball in the back of the net.”

NOTES

  • Both teams took 11 shots. UVA outshot Duke 4-2 in the second half
  • Ezechiels (4) and Robinson (3) took a combined seven shots
  • Both teams had seven penalty corners. All seven of Duke’s came in the first half. Virginia had five in the first half and two in the fourth quarter
  • Junior goalkeeper Lauren Hausheer (West Windsor, N.J.) logged one save
  • Duke’s Piper Hampsch made two saves

UP NEXT – ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

  • The bracket for the championship will be released Sunday afternoon (Nov. 1) sometime after the conclusion of the noon game between Wake Forest and Boston College
  • On Friday morning (Oct. 30), the ACC announced that the Field Hockey Championship will be played at North Carolina instead of at Duke
  • Quarterfinal games will be played on Thursday, Nov. 5 with the semifinals on Friday (Nov. 6) and the championship match on Sunday (Nov. 8)