George Mason goalkeeper Meg Dentler played the game of her life, finishing with 16 saves, but even that was not enough to stop the Virginia offense.
Junior Tyler Leachman led the Cavaliers with five points, and junior Cary Chasney added three goals of her own as No. 5 Virginia defeated the George Mason Patriots 12-7 in Fairfax last night.With the win, Virginia improves to 10-2 on the season.
Even after the Cavaliers jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, the Patriots battled back and managed to keep the game close before Leachman put away the game late in the second half with two of her three goals.
After annihilating their previous two opponents by a combined score of 40-6, Virginia had to work much harder against a gritty Mason squad.
"Mason's a really good team," senior Amy Appelt said. "It was the first really tough game we've had in a while, so I'm glad we rose to the occasion."
Virginia's offense bogged down at times when they seemed poised to break the game open.Many Cavalier rallies were snuffed by errant passes or bad shots which kept the game much closer than expected.Still, the Cavaliers broke double digits in goals for the ninth time this season and came away with the hard-earned victory.
"We had a lot of good opportunities," Appelt said. "We just didn't capitalize on them."
Many of the Cavaliers' points came off fast breaks.The speedy Virginia attackers were able to score quickly off draws, blowing by defenders and burying the ball in the back of the net.Even with the miscues, Virginia kept coming at the Patriots, eventually wearing them down with their superior speed and talent. The win was a team effort, with six different Cavaliers contributing the twelve goals. Without several spectacular saves from their goalkeeper, the Patriots might have found themselves in the same situation as Virginia's previous two opponents -- victims of a blowout on their own home field.
Virginia maintained its undefeated record against the Patriots, improving to 7-0 in the series with Mason.If tonight's game is any indication, the Cavaliers will need to maintain their focus in order to keep their streak going in the future.
George Mason's defenders played a solid game, and Dentler made several remarkable saves to keep the outcome in doubt until the end of the game.Mason has shown the ability to keep games close -- eight of their 12 games have been decided by three goals or less.
"They've given a lot of people some good games, we knew that coming into it," Leachman said.
Not to be outdone, Virginia goalkeeper Ginger Miles added 13 saves of her own to keep the Mason offense in check and prevent the game from getting too contentious.
Leachman shared Appelt's frustrations on the offensive end. Despite many opportunities, the Cavaliers were simply unable to convert them into points.
"We did a good job of playing hard," Leachman said. "We just need to make our opportunities."
The win against Mason marks the end of a successful three-game road trip in which the Cavaliers exploded for 52 points and gave up only 12.Virginia now enters another stretch with three games at home, starting with archrival Virginia Tech on Friday. If the Cavaliers play at the level they've shown in the last three games, they will be extremely difficult to beat.
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