CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – In a contest where fourth year goalkeeper Nilou Lempers posted a career-high 15 saves, the No. 11 Virginia field hockey team (6-4, 2-3 ACC) dropped a 2-1 decision to the Cal Bears (7-3, 1-2 ACC) in overtime at Turf Field on Sunday (Oct. 4).
Goals (Assist)
5:14 Virginia – Mia Abello (Rylee Dennis)
41:37 Cal - Josefina Moyano (Adya Kadam)
60:50 Cal - Liz Klompmaker (Holly Pears and Agustina Daud)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The visiting Bears set the tone early on Sunday, as Cal tallied the first four shots before Virginia forced a penalty corner just over five minutes in. As in the match against Stanford two days earlier, Mia Abello opened the scoring for UVA from a corner, putting the Cavaliers up 1-0. To close out the opening 15 minutes of play, Virginia fended off a total of six Bear corners. Following two more penalty corners for Cal in the heart of the second quarter, UVA was rewarded with a penalty stroke with 39 seconds left in the first half. Cal’s Carine Van Weichen turned away Abello on the penalty stroke to keep it a one-goal contest heading into halftime.
With just under three and a half minutes remaining in the quarter, Cal’s Josefina Moyano tied the game at 1-1 when she snuck a shot past Lempers. After the goal, the tightly contested matchup continued until Virginia successfully defended a pair of Cal penalty corners in the waning moments of the regulation to force overtime. The Bears forced the issue in the opening moments of overtime and scored the game-winning goal on a corner 50 seconds into the extra period.
In goal for Cal, Van Weichen made a pair of saves while Lempers made 15 for UVA.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Cal held an advantage in shots (25-6), shots on goal (17-3) and corners (17-2).
- Nilou Lempers’ 15 saves are the most by a Virginia goalkeeper since 2009.
- Mia Abello scored her sixth goal of the season and the 24th of her career.
- Rylee Dennis picked her first career assist on Sunday.
FROM HEAD COACH OLE KEUSGEN
“Nilou and our defense penalty corner unit did a great job. They kept us in the game way longer than they should have. They have done a great job all year and especially Nilou, she has been exceptional.”
ON THE HORIZON
UVA hits the road for a pair of ACC matches starting on Oct. 9 at Boston College. The game is slated to start at 6 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.