CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team (7-3) picked up a 3-0 victory against No. 19 William & Mary (7-4) on Sunday (Oct. 2) at Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia scored three times in the fourth quarter while outshooting the Tribe 24-0 in the game.
Freshman Daniela Mendez-Trendler logged her third goal of the weekend to start the scoring for the Cavaliers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia jumped out on attack early, taking eight shots in the first quarter, including two on goal, and held a 13-0 shot advantage at the break, but could not convert their opportunities.
The Cavaliers finally broke through in the fourth quarter when Mendez-Trendler dribbled into the circle and smashed the ball into the upper corner of the net to give UVA a 1-0 lead with just over eight minutes remaining.
Less than a minute later, Virginia was awarded a penalty stroke. Sophomore Taryn Tkachuk converted the stroke to give UVA a 2-0 lead.
Virginia added an insurance goal with two minutes left in the game when junior Meghen Hengerer was able to knock a loose ball into the net for her first goal of the season.
NOTES
- William & Mary goalkeeper Maddie George made six saves
- George came into the weekend as the NCAA leader in save percentage at 0.853 with a 1.09 goals-against average (ranked No. 10 in the nation)
- Virginia topped No. 11 Syracuse 3-0 last week and No. 5 Louisville 2-0 on Friday to give them three straight shutouts against ranked teams
- Daniela Mendez-Trendler scored both goals on Friday against Louisville. Her goal today is her fifth of the year
- Taryn Tkachuk’s goal was her second of the year
- All three goals were unassisted
- The game was played in a steady light rain, the remnants of Hurricane Ian
FROM HEAD COACH MICHELE MADISON
“William and Mary presented a very aggressive defensive style, and they were committed to defense. It took us a while to get through, especially in the circle. There were a lot of people in the circle. We just stuck with it, kept trying to build the passing game and great opportunities and just get one to drop. We knew when we got one to drop, we hoped they would keep dropping. It was a great defensive unit again today. Just a great defensive effort by our team and the persistence and resilience to keep playing through it even though they could have easily gotten frustrated with so much offensive output and no results, but we didn’t.”
ON THE HORIZON
- The Cavaliers return to ACC play on Friday at No. 22…