No. 14 Virginia Downs No. 18 Clemson on the Road

CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 14 Virginia women’s lacrosse team (5-1, 1-1 ACC) exploded out of the gate and finished strong to take down No. 18 Clemson (4-1, 1-1 ACC) in a back-and-forth game on the road as Katia Carnevale and Morgan Schwab combined for nine points on the day.

Carnevale (4g) led the Cavaliers in goals while Morgan Schwab (1g, 4a) logged five points. Mackenzie Hoeg (3g,) Kate Galica (3g) and Kate Miller (3g) all recorded hat tricks in an impressive offensive showing for the Cavaliers.

Galica and Miller were each difference makers between the restraining lines as the two combined for nine draw controls on the day. Mel Josephson stood tall in cage improving to 5-1 on the season while making 11 saves in the process.

How it Happened
Virginia blitzed Clemson early by jumping out to a 3-0 advantage as Kate Miller found the back of the net twice on the early run. The Cavaliers kept the pressure on in the first period outscoring the Tigers by a margin of 6-2 in the opening frame.

Clemson went on a 3-1 scoring run to start the second period. A goal from Kiki Shaw stopped the Tiger run while Jenna Dinardo and Morgan Schwab scored back-to-back Cavalier goals to restore a four-goal Virginia lead going into the halftime break.

At the start of the third quarter, Clemson ripped off a string of three consecutive goals to cut Virginia’s lead to just one. With six minutes remaining in the third quarter, Morgan Schwab found Mackenzie Hoeg to swing the momentum back in Virginia’s favor. Galica scored three of Virginia’s next four goals to help push Virginia’s lead back to a five-goal advantage.

Virginia dominated in the fourth quarter outscoring Clemson by a margin of 6-2 to see out the victory.

Another day, another Schwab to Hoeg goal 😎#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/aqluwQJs3h

— Virginia Women’s Lacrosse (@UVAWomensLax) March 2, 2024

From Head Coach Sonia LaMonica:
“I saw a tough, resilient group today. Clemson gave us a really hard fight. They definitely tested us un various areas from start to finish but I think we showed that resiliency. This was a huge road win. I am really proud of them and this will help to set the stage as we move forward.

🎙️ Postgame thoughts from head coach Sonia LaMonica ⤵️#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/ILYGX8K0Pt

— Virginia Women’s Lacrosse (@UVAWomensLax) March 2, 2024

With the Win:

• Virginia earns its first ACC win of the season to improve to a 1-1 record in conference play
• The Cavaliers earn their first win over ranked opposition this season
• The ACC victory marks the first of Sonia LaMonica’s tenure at UVA
• Virginia improves to 5-1 on the season and 3-0 away from Klöckner Stadium
• The Cavaliers improve to 2-0 all-time against Clemson 

Notes

• With 118 career assists, Morgan Schwab surpassed Amy Appelt (115) to rank second at Virginia in career assists. She trails only Lindsay Sheehan (129) who set the Virginia record in 1986.
• Kate Galica recorded a pair of career-highs with three goals and five draw controls
• Mackenzie Hoeg scored multiple goals for the sixth time this season, she is the only Cavalier to do so in each game in 2024
• Virginia recorded its second-highest scoring output of the season with 18 on the day
• Morgan Schwab recorded five or more points in a game for the fourth time in six games
• Mel Josephson recorded double-digit saves for the fourth time this season 

Up Next:
The Cavaliers will return to Klöckner Stadium on Wednesday (March 6) when they take on Richmond with first draw set for 5 p.m