The Virginia field hockey team faces a tough challenge Saturday, as it hosts No. 4 Wake Forest (13-2, 4-0 ACC) in its home finale. The Cavaliers (9-7, 1-2 ACC) have three games remaining this season, all of which pit them against strong teams.
"We've got some ranked opponents with Wake Forest, Duke, and Michigan in front of us," Virginia coach Jessica Wilk said.
After the Cavaliers' win at home against Towson on Wednesday, senior captain Katie Slocum feels confident about the team's ability to match up well against Wake.
"I think we can do what we did [Wednesday], and we can play better against Wake," Slocum said. "We have to."
Wake Forest comes to the University Hall turf field with a lofty ranking and a similarly impressive 12 game winning streak -- one that they will fight hard to keep going into early November's NCAA tournament. The Deacons have made the semifinals the last two years under coach Jennifer Averill.
Senior Demon Deacon Heather Aughinbaugh was named ACC Player of the Week after a spurt of offensive productivity in the last four games. She is on a hot goal-scoring streak with seven tallies in the past four games, including a hat-trick against Penn State.
Looking to stop Aughinbaugh is Virginia's star starting goalie Emily White. White missed the last game because of a concussion but is expected to return to action in the Wake game. White is ranked second in the nation in saves and sixth in save percentage.
After a 4-0 start this season, the Cavaliers' record has teetered back-and-forth with a streaky series of wins and losses. They certainly are looking to improve on their 1-2 ACC record with a win against Wake.
"They're a very talented team, athletically and skill-wise," Wilk said. "They play well as a unit. We've faced a lot of talented teams along the way. It's going to be a very tough game, but we're looking forward to the challenge."
Earlier ACC matchups against North Carolina and Maryland resulted in a 1-2 record. The first contest at Chapel Hill saw a scoreless first half until Virginia drew first blood. But scoring first was not enough, and the Cavaliers fell 3-1 against the Tar Heels. Against the top-ranked Terrapins, the Cavaliers fought hard but fell 3-2 in overtime. A second meeting with the Tar Heels proved more satisfying, as the Cavaliers came away with a 1-0 upset at home.
The Cavaliers' Wednesday win ended a two-game struggle in Ithaca, N.Y., against Dartmouth and Cornell. The Cornell game was a long battle that ended in a second overtime loss. The defeat was particularly heartbreaking after Virginia stole a second-half lead on a goal by Slocum.
The next three games are crucial for the Cavaliers if they have plans to make the ACC tournament, which begins Nov. 7.
The Cavaliers are well aware of the importance of this game to their postseason prospects.
"All the rest of our games are really clutch and important," Slocum said. "We basically have to win all of the games if we want to make the NCAA tournament. But more importantly, we need to finish strong and make changes, so we can feel like we've improved from the beginning to the end."
But Wilk wants to concentrate on the game at hand.
"I'm not counting anything out, but I'm also not looking past the next game," she said.
With that sort of concentration, a strong offensive effort and continued defensive strength, the Cavaliers may have what it takes to keep Wake Forest at bay and finish the season strong.
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