Offense is pivotal to success in women's lacrosse, but defense is what wins close games and prevents the mortification associated with a blowout.
Last season, the Virginia women's lacrosse team was led by an experienced defensive line, including two All-Americans -- redshirt senior Lauri Kenis and graduate student Tiffany Schummer.
For the Cavaliers this season, the long sticks, though lacking some of the veteran leadership of last year, have provided prowess in the backfield to support the solid effort of the attack in leading the team to its current record (9-3, 2-1 ACC).
The Cavalier defensive assault starts with sophomore midfielder Nikki Lieb, progresses with the trio of junior defenders Elizabeth Pinney, Ashley Dodson and Molly Urlock, and culminates with senior goalkeeper Andrea Pfeiffer in the cage.
Pfeiffer, in her third year as a starter for the Cavaliers, boasts a 52 percent save percentage with 109 saves and only 99 goals allowed for a slim 8.72 goals against average. In comparison, opposing goalkeepers this season only have stopped 42 percent of the shots they faced against Virginia. They have allowed 165 goals and made only 119 saves, resulting in a lofty 13.75 goals against average.
For Virginia this season, defensive success has not meant dishing out assists, but instead causing turnovers and winning ground balls and draw controls. Not only do draw controls, caused turnovers and ground balls keep the opposing team from scoring, but they also give the powerful Virginia offense an extended time of possession to work on their new offense and expand a potential lead.
Following a 19-5 trouncing of the Temple Owls late last month in which the Cavaliers won the race for ground balls, 25-20, caused seven turnovers and took 20 of 26 draws, Virginia coach Julie Myers noted the importance of these aspects of the game.
"I think we did a great job on draws and probably won the ground ball scenario too," Myers said. "So we were able to maximize our possession."
Failure to control possession of the ball proved damaging to the Cavaliers in their most recent game, a loss at Duke in which they were unable to gain an advantage in draw controls or caused turnovers.
"We played into their hands," junior attacker Amy Appelt said. "We didn't play our style of game, and we dug a hole that we really couldn't get ourselves out of."
Through Saturday's contest at Duke, the Cavaliers have captured significantly more ground balls, 271-232, and caused more turnovers, 117-93, than the opposition.
Lieb and Pinney have picked up the slack for Kenis and Schummer, last year's ground ball and caused turnover leaders, respectively. Thus far, the duo has combined for 68 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers.
The Cavalier defense should continue to play a decisive role in the remaining two weeks of the season, including tonight's contest at 7 p.m. against Old Dominion.
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