BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 21 Virginia women’s lacrosse team (8-8, 6-4 ACC) closed out the regular season with a 13-10 victory against Virginia Tech (9-8, 3-7 ACC) on Thursday (April 16) at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, Va.
The game was tied 10-10 to start the fourth quarter. Freshman Megan Rocklein scored what would be the game-winning goal two minutes into the period, with sophomore Livy LaVerghetta and junior Kate Galica adding two more in the quarter to secure the victory.
Galica led the Cavaliers with five goals, including scoring the 100th goal of her career. She scored three of those goals in the first quarter. Junior Madison Alaimo had five assists.
Virginia led 4-2 at the end of the first quarter, but the Hokies opened the second period on a 4-0 run to take a 6-4 lead. Virginia closed the half with three-straight goals, including a score from junior Jenna DiNardo in the final 40 seconds to take a 7-6 lead into the break.
UVA led 9-7 midway through the third period when the Hokies rallied to tie the game 9-9 with 6:18 remaining in the quarter and then took a 10-9 lead with 2:24 remaining. Sophomore Gabby LaVerghetta scored with 1:06 remaining to knot it at 10 heading into the final period.
This was the final game of the season for the Hokies, but the Cavaliers will continue play next week at the ACC Championships in Charlotte, N.C. The top eight teams in the conference earn spots in the tournament. The Cavaliers finish in a tie for fifth place with Boston College and Notre Dame. UVA will earn the No. 5 seed in the championship by virtue of its regular-season wins against both the Eagles and the Fighting Irish.
VIRGINIA SCORING
GOALS: Kate Galica 5; Jenna Dinardo 2; Livy Laverghetta 2; Fiona Allen 1; Payton Sfreddo 1; Megan Rocklein 1; Gabby Laverghetta 1.
ASSISTS: Madison Alaimo 5; Sophia Conti 1; Jenna Dinardo 1.
VIRGINIA TECH SCORING
GOALS: Mia Pozzi 2; Lauren Render 2; Sarah Murrell 2; Ally Phalines 1; Colleen Thieke 1; Catherine Karman 1; Reese Wallich 1.
ASSISTS: Mia Pozzi 2; Kamryn Henson 1.
FROM HEAD COACH SONIA LAMONICA
"Tonight was a game of runs, and I liked our resiliency down the stretch to come away with a gritty road win. Kate continues to be a dominant playmaker all over the field and is an absolute nightmare for opponents. She really is playing some of her best lacrosse right now."
NOTES
- Virginia goalkeeper Elyse Finnelle had six saves. Virginia Tech’s Malie Follet had seven
- Virginia held a 35-21 edge in shots and 17-8 in draw controls
- Kate Galica won 11 draw controls
SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH
- The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, originally called the Commonwealth Challenge (2005-2007), has been a part of the UVA-Virginia Tech rivalry since 2014. It is an all-sports, points-based program with the Commonwealth Clash trophy presented to the winning school each year for its dominance in head-to-head competitions
- With today’s victory, the Cavaliers earn a point in the clash and lead 12-5
- Virginia clinched the 2025-26 Clash last week with a victory by the men's tennis team
UP NEXT
- The ACC Championship takes place in Charlotte, April 22-26
- The Cavaliers will open play in the 4/5 game on Wednesday, April 22, at 2 p.m.
- The official tournament bracket will be released on Friday morning, April 17