NORFOLK--They say history repeats itself. Yesterday it happened when the Virginia field hockey team lost to Old Dominion for the seventh-straight time, this time by a 5-1 score.
Senior goalkeeper Becky Worthington gave the No. 8 Cavaliers (3-3) a valiant effort with 17 saves, but it wasn't enough to stop the No. 2 Lady Monarchs (7-1). Old Dominion dominated most of the game, fired 27 shots to Virginia's five and took 10 corners to the Cavs' three.
"We played really hard, but we didn't do what we needed to do," Worthington said. "There were too many shots on goal. If we want to continue to be a top-10 team, we need to be able to pick up our level of play."
The Monarchs completely controlled Virginia's offense in the first half. The Cavs took only one shot and no penalty corners, leaving them with little opportunity to score. Meanwhile, Old Dominion attacked the Virginia goal right from the start and tallied 18 shots.
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Monarch superstar midfielder Marina DiGiacomo scored two first-half goals on penalty strokes, both granted for goalkeeper obstruction. DiGiacomo is the nation's leading scorer with 35 points (14 goals and seven assists). ODU junior forward Laura Steadman and junior midfielder Julie Miracle also added goals in the first half.
Play was more even in the second half. Both teams registered three penalty corners and one goal each. With 5 minutes, 48 seconds to go, DiGiacomo scored another goal off a penalty stroke to earn her a hat trick.
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Cav forward Lorraine Vizzuso lofted a ball into the corner of the Old Dominion cage off a penalty corner with 16:34 left to score Virginia's lone goal.
Despite their increased efforts in the second half, the Cavaliers went home with a sour taste in their mouths.
"We struggled to put things together offensively, and we hurt ourselves in that aspect," Cav coach Jessica Wilk said. "Defensively, we had periods where we played well, and we had letdowns. And I think when you have letdowns against the No. 2 team in the country, they'll make you pay for it."
The Cavaliers may be disappointed, but according to Old Dominion coach Beth Anders, Virginia has a lot to look forward to.
"I think Virginia's a good team. They are very well-coached, and it's still very early in the season," she said "They did some very nice things and they had some dangerous plays. They only have everything good in front of them. You have to take every game and learn from it"
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