Expectations are high this season for the No. 8 Virginia women's lacrosse team even after suffering two early season losses to Syracuse and more recently, to No. 3 Maryland on March 11. The Cavaliers (3-2) will look to rebound from their woes as they square off against No. 12 Penn State tonight at Klockner stadium. The non-conference match is set to get underway at 7 p.m.
Penn State (2-1) is coming off a dominating performance at Davidson on March 11. The Nittany Lions pounced on the Wildcats to win 14-2 and keep Davidson winless.
While Penn State is gaining momentum early on in the season, Virginia is looking to rebound from its tough loss to Maryland and come out strong this evening.
"We've scouted them some, and they're going to be good," Virginia coach Julie Myers said. "Despite the fact that we've lost two games, I still like our chances."
Sophomore attacker Cary Chasney and junior midfielder Caitlin Banks will need to keep Virginia's offensive power flowing throughout the game in order to break through Penn State's stingy defense.
Penn State is no stranger to upsets as they knocked off then No. 8 Vanderbilt 12-11 earlier this season. Virginia, however, will want to prove the naysayers wrong and show why the Cavaliers received a No. 3 preseason ranking.
"We'll come out strong," senior midfielder Lauren Aumiller said. "We're going to change some things, so I definitely think Penn State will be a different story than Maryland."
Last season, Virginia beat the Nittany Lions at State College 11-9. Senior midfielder Tiffany Schummer and sophomore midfielder Amy Appelt led the Cavaliers to victory almost a year ago today and will hope to gain Virginia its fourth win of the season tonight.
Coach Myers will have to make adjustments in order to help Virginia get back on the winning track but still believes in her basic principles.
"I really whole-heartedly believe in our team, our style, and what it is we're trying to do," she said.
The Cavaliers also will take on the Princeton Tigers this Sunday in Charlottesville.
No. 2 Princeton (1-1) is also on the mend after losing an overtime thriller to then No. 5 Loyola (3-0) this Sunday that shocked the previously top-ranked Tiger squad.
Both Virginia and Princeton are ranked in the top 10 nationally, No. 8 and No. 2 respectively, and each team will fight to the bitter end for the needed victory.
The Tigers took the only meeting of the two squads last year 13-11 in Princeton, N.J. Having home-field advantage may be the deciding factor in Sunday's showdown that could reshuffle the national rankings after the dust clears.
"I think we'll all be ready because we know we have a big week coming up," Aumiller said.
The Cavaliers will be poised to regroup after these next two home games as they have a week to rest before they take on No. 9 North Carolina next Saturday, March 22. Virginia currently is 0-1 in the ACC after the loss to Maryland and 3-1 in non-conference play.
The Tar Heels are responsible for ending Virginia's season and their NCAA championship hopes last season, defeating the Cavaliers in overtime during the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Virginia must focus on Penn State tonight and take the season one game at a time in order to stamp out any doubts in their own minds. Junior keeper Andrea Pfeiffer will look to match her season high 12-save performance against Maryland and lead the Cavaliers to victory. The season is just beginning for Virginia and it will take more than five games for the squad to become one cohesive unit.
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