It is ACC tournament time, and the Virginia women's lacrosse team is gearing up for a championship run. The No. 3 Cavaliers (11-2, 3-0 ACC) enter today's matchup against No. 12 Maryland (8-6, 0-3) as the tournament's top seed. The Cavaliers, who are on a seven-game winning streak, will travel to Duke to take on the Terrapins at 1 p.m.
A victory over Maryland would be the Cavaliers' second this season and would be notable in that it almost certainly would end the Terrapins' NCAA dominance. Maryland has won eight of the past 10 national championships, including the last seven, but are in danger of missing the NCAA tournament entirely.
In the two rivals' previous encounter, the Cavaliers' early lead and Maryland's inability to use game time effectively contributed to an upset for Virginia. Maryland scored 11 of 16 goals in the second half, sending the game into overtime and resulting in a very close final score of 17-16. Senior midfielder Molly Cangemi, announced as an All-ACC selection yesterday, stressed the importance of maintaining a strong lead throughout the game to counter any potential threat of a Maryland comeback.
"We just can't afford lapses," Cangemi said. The Terrapins "came back last time. We were up nine goals at one point. This game, we're looking to get up and stay up."
Cangemi was joined on the All-ACC team by two other midfielders - senior Gina Sambus and junior Lauren Aumiller - and senior defender Tiffany Schummer. Freshman midfielder Amy Appelt was named Rookie of the Year. Coach Julie Myers shared Coach of the Year honors with North Carolina's Jenny Slingluff Levy.
If the Cavaliers are able to dominate possession of the ball and make more shots on goal, they will greatly improve their chances.
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Myers also recognizes that despite the win last month over the Terrapins, there are aspects of the Cavs' game that need improvement.
The Terps "need a big win to get into the [NCAA] Tournament. They have yet to have that top t10 win, so we're prime for the picking as far as they can see it," Myers said. "We need to make sure that we're a lot sharper [tomorrow] than we were [against George Mason Tuesday], that we can execute a whole lot better. Maryland's a great offensive team. If we play sloppy on defense, we could be in real trouble."
Even though there are apparent weaknesses in Virginia's level of play, they should not serve as grounds for an apprehensive or timid approach in confronting Maryland. If anything, the Cavaliers' record this season should motivate and reinforce a sense of assurance among the team. Attacker Appelt reflects the confidence, optimism and vigor that characterize the players, especially the freshmen.
"I'm very excited and definitely expecting a lot from us as a team, definitely a championship," Appelt said. "From the way we've been playing all season, we can't expect anything less."
Today's game will confirm or dispel her hopes, as well as determine the Cavaliers' ACC and NCAA contention status. If Virginia defeats the Terrapins, the Cavaliers will advance to compete for the ACC championship Sunday at noon against the winner of the Duke-North Carolina matchup. More importantly, the Virginia women's lacrosse team will improve their NCAA rank and tournament ambitions. Much sits on the line for the Cavs as they face-off against Maryland - it could mark the first milestone in the long road to a national title.
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