Riding high off a victory at VCU last Friday, the Virginia field hockey team returns to University Hall Turf Field tonight for a 7 p.m. game with another in-state rival, James Madison.
In Friday's game, the Cavaliers used a strong defensive effort to secure the win, while the offense relied on goals by senior forward Katie Nicholson and sophomore forward Allie Flynn. After the Rams tied the score in the middle of the second half amid a flurry of scoring opportunities, Flynn delivered the game-winner with just under seven minutes left.
"VCU played very hard and they didn't give up," Flynn said. "Once they scored and it was a tie game, there wasn't much that needed to be said. We all knew what we had to do."
Junior goalie Logan Carr had three saves to preserve the victory for the Cavaliers.
The victory over VCU ran the team's record to 4-1 entering tonight's game with JMU. The 16th-ranked Cavaliers will be looking to hold down the Dukes, who gained their first victory last Friday with a dramatic comeback win over Kent State. JMU is attempting to rebound from their slow start against a brutal early-season schedule, including a 6-0 loss to defending national champion Wake Forest and a 9-1 loss to second-ranked North Carolina.
Though the Dukes enter the game with a 1-5 record, Virginia's players are trying to focus on JMU while looking ahead to Sunday's game against league rival North Carolina.
The Cavaliers have good reason to be careful with the Dukes, as a 3-1 loss last year in Harrisonburg left a bitter taste in their mouths.
"JMU was a disappointing loss last season, so we are definitely looking forward to playing them again, especially at home," sophomore midfielder Katie Phillips said.
Flynn confirmed her teammate's sentiment.
"I think we can never be too prepared, and it will be a tough one," she said. "They are always very competitive and we need to look to score every opportunity we get."
Even a minimum amount of scoring should give the Cavs a good shot to win. On their current three-game winning streak, the defense has allowed a total of two goals. The streak's highlight was a 5-0 shutout of Longwood in which the Lancers managed only four shots.
The Cavaliers are looking to use tonight's game to continue that momentum as they build toward their ACC opener at North Carolina, with whom they split a pair of games last year.
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