The No. 3 Virginia and No. 19 George Mason women's lacrosse teams may play in the same state, but they are coming from completely different directions heading into today's matchup.
The Cavaliers (11-2, 3-0 ACC) have won six straight games, including four wins in a row over opponents ranked in the top 20. Virginia has not left any doubt they deserve their current top ACC seed, averaging more than an eight-goal differential over the high ranking teams. The Cavaliers will seek the program's 299th win.
The Patriots (5-6, 4-4 CAA), on the other hand, are looking for their first win in five games as they struggle to maintain their No. 19 ranking after dropping their last two games against unranked Delaware and William & Mary.
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George Mason's defeats may provide some added confidence for the Cavaliers, but Virginia coach Julie Myers knows not to take the Patriots lightly.
"George Mason's a very feisty team, very dangerous," Myers said. "It's going to be really important for us to make sure we go out and play solid once again."
The Cavaliers will look to their balance of experience and young talent to continue their winning streak.
Virginia All-American midfielder Lauren Aumiller's four-goal April 10 performance against Virginia Tech earned her the second spot on the program's all-time scoring list. Aumiller has proved a top performer for the Cavaliers all season, and will almost certainly pose a serious scoring threat. The Cavaliers also alsolook to sophomore attacker Caitlin Banks for goal production, as well as freshman attacker Amy Appelt, who has had a stellar first season.
On the other side of the field, sophomore All-American goalie Andrea Pfeiffer will tend the net in hopes of continuing her five-game streak of holding the opposing team to single-digit scoring.
But George Mason will rely on their nine returning starters from the 2001 season if they hope to achieve a big upset this close to the end of the season.
The Patriots will be led by junior attacker Jill Toomey, who leads the team in scoring with 39 points coming from 35 goals and 4 assists on the season.
For both teams, the game will be their last regular season contest before entering their respective conference tournaments.
Virginia already solidified its No. 1 seed for the ACC tournament and will face Maryland, who won the last seven national championships but is coming off one of the worst seasons in school history. The Terrapins began as the NCAA's preseason top seed, but have gone 0-3 in the ACC, including a loss to Virginia March 12, which was the first time the Cavaliers trumped the Terps since 1993.
The Patriots will head to Richmond Friday to face a highly competitive CAA that includes four teams ranked in the nation's top 20.
If common opponents are any indication to how today's game will end, Virginia should feel confident. The Cavaliers posted victories over Old Dominion, William & Mary and North Carolina, while the Patriots lost to all three. James Madison was the only team to fall to Virginia and George Mason. The Patriots snagged a 10-9 win over the Dukes in overtime March 27, while the Cavaliers took away a solid 15-7 victory April 3.
Today's game will be played in Kl
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