No. 11 Virginia Wins 3-1 at No. 16 Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 11 Virginia field hockey team (6-2, 1-1 ACC) earned its first conference win of the season with a 3-1 victory at Wake Forest (4-4, 1-1 ACC) on Friday.

Wake Forest scored the first goal of the game early in the second quarter, but Virginia scored twice off of penalty corners in the remainder of the period to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Noa Boterman added an insurance goal in the third quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wake Forest had the early attack edge, taking three shots and earning two penalty corners in the first period. The Demon Deacons capitalized on their third penalty corner, taking a 1-0 lead 2:32 into the second quarter. Junior midfielder Adele Iacobucci evened the score, taking a hard shot off a UVA corner that deflected off a defender’s stick and into the upper corner of the net midway through the period. Sophomore striker Laura Janssen put the Cavaliers ahead by deflecting in another penalty corner shot, this one taken by junior back Cato Geusgens in the waning seconds of the first half.

Freshman striker Noa Boterman took a shot from her knees that hit paydirt midway through the third period to give UVA a 3-1 lead.

Freshman goalie Tyler Kennedy played the entire game in goal, making two saves.

NOTES

• Wake Forest held a 10-9 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in penalty corners
• Noa Boterman’s goal was her third of the season. Adele Iacobucci’s goal was also her third of the season
• Laura Janssen’s goal, the game-winner, was her first of the season
• Jans Croon and Greer Gill assisted on Iacobucci’s goal

FROM HEAD COACH MICHELE MADISON

“The team grew in the game. It was a slow start but they found their wheels and found each other and got connected and took off from there. I thought the back four handled the ball really well. Amber [Ezechiels] had some great step-ups and Rachel Robinson as well. They ran the game plan as designed and kudos to all of them for that for making it work against a very good Wake Forest team.”

ON THE HORIZON

• The Cavaliers will be back home at Turf Field on Sunday, Sept. 26, hosting No. 21 Old Dominion (5-2, 1-1 BIG EAST) at 1 p.m.