UNIVERSITY Park, Pa. – The No. 5 Virginia field hockey team (1-0, 0-0 ACC) opened the 2026 season with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over Penn State on Friday (Aug. 28) at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
Goals (Assist)
0:56 Virginia – Rylee Dennis (unassisted)
19:52 Virginia – Riley Savage (Caitlin Connell)
32:51 Virginia – Livvy Barker (Amelie Rees)
48:39 Penn State – Olivia Marthins (unassisted)
51:15 Penn State – Ella Gaitan (Josephine Purdy)
54:28 Penn State – Chloe Dhage (Sienna Dunn)
65:27 Virginia – Mia Abello (Mary Adams, Emma Watchilla)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers wasted no time in the season opener as Dennis found the back of the net 56 seconds into the contest. After the opening salvo, Virginia controlled play for the rest of the first quarter, holding Penn State to a single shot. Savage extended the UVA advantage to 2-0 with a tap-in goal in the second quarter with the help of Connell. Right before halftime, Virginia goalkeeper Nilou Lempers made an acrobatic kick save to keep the score at 2-0 heading into the break.
In the second half, Virginia added to its lead when Barker scored her first collegiate goal just under five minutes into the third quarter. Penn State’s Marthins got the Nittany Lions on the board with just over 11 minutes left in regulation. In the final 10 minutes of regulation, Penn State scored twice, including a goal to tie the match at 3-3 with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter.
Abello ended the contest with a goal off a penalty corner just over five minutes into the extra frame. Adams and Watchilla picked up helpers on the game-winner.
In goal, Lempers recorded three saves for UVA while Penn State’s Aby Deverka made three saves of her own.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Penn State outshot Virginia 12-9.
- The Cavaliers held a 7-6 advantage over Penn State in shots on goal.
- UVA had four penalty corners to Penn State’s two.
- Rylee Dennis netted the second career goal on Friday, while Riley Savage scored her fourth.
- In her college debut, Livvy Barker notched her first collegiate goal.
- Mia Abello’s overtime winner was her 19th career goal.
FROM HEAD COACH OLE KEUSGEN
“We controlled the game well and should have scored a couple of goals more before we lost control for 5 minutes in the 4th quarter. We are a young team that will learn from this and how to close out games. I’m proud of our character to find a way in OT.”
ON THE HORIZON
UVA will continue its four-game season-opening road swing against Rutgers (Sept. 4) and Ohio State (Sept. 6) as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in New Brunswick, N.J., before concluding the road trip at Liberty (Sept. 11). Virginia’s home opener is slated for Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. against James Madison on Turf Field.