Though the No. 5 Virginia women's soccer team (11-3-1) is fully prepared for an all-out battle against No. 14 Boston College tonight in Chestnut Hill, Mass., the squad may struggle to find its rhythm against an entirely new opponent and in an entirely new stadium.
Chestnut Hill "is a place that we're unfamiliar with," junior midfielder Becky Sauerbrunn said. "It's different than playing down at North Carolina or Duke or some of these stadiums or areas we've played in before. We don't know what to expect."
As a result of the conference's recent expansion, the Cavaliers will take the field tonight against the Golden Eagles for the first time in nearly 17 years. The last matchup took place in 1988 and ended in 2-2 tie.
Among the three newest conference opponents that the Cavaliers face on the 2005 schedule, the Golden Eagles appear to present the greatest challenge. Virginia dispatched Miami in the first-ever meeting between the two schools by a score of 1-0 Oct. 2. Virginia also dismantled the Hokies 4-0 a week later in Blacksburg. Boston College, however, appears ready to put up more of a fight.
The Golden Eagles have enjoyed a successful 2005 campaign with an overall mark of 10-3-1 thus far. The squad features a young offensive unit with sophomores Kia McNeil and Maddie Johnson, and freshman Caroline Walden leading the team in points.
Boston College's defense, on the other hand, is anchored by junior Laura Georges, a member of the French women's national team and recent nominee for the prestigious FIFA Player of the Year Award. Junior goalkeeper Arianna Criscione also has been impressive with 45 saves in 14 starts.
On Virginia's side of the ball, the Cavaliers have been able to respond well against ranked opponents this year with wins against No. 10 Florida State and No. 15 West Virginia. Virginia is 6-1 in conference play, with the only loss coming in double-overtime against the top-ranked Tar Heels last week in Chapel Hill.
Virginia is led offensively by senior midfielder Noelle Keselica and freshman forward Jess Rostedt, who have combined for 14 goals and eight assists on the season. On defense, the Cavaliers have relied heavily on the consistency of freshmen Nikki Krzysik, Sarah Senty and Alex Singer. Junior goalkeeper Christina de Vries also has been solid in front of the net all year.
Virginia has played well on the road this season, with resounding victories at Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia Tech. Boston College, on the other hand, has dropped three of its last five matches, including a 2-1 defeat at home to Wake Forest. The Golden Eagles also were defeated by Florida State 3-0 one week after the Seminoles fell to the Cavaliers 1-0 in Charlottesville. In spite of the dry spell, Boston College managed to top North Carolina State 1-0 Sunday and looks to build off of that victory against Virginia.
"We know that they're a quality team and that they're doing well in conference play," Virginia coach Steve Swanson said. "We're just going to have to play well to beat them. We just have to be ready to play."
The Cavaliers had last weekend off and should be well-rested as they make the trip up to Chestnut Hill. They've also used the extra time to get ready for anything and everything that the Golden Eagles might bring.
"There's always that element of surprise that they might do something that we're not expecting," Sauerbrunn said. "But I know Steve's prepared us as well as he can. We feel ready."
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Newton Campus Field.
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