It may have seemed like a misprint at first glance, but Virginia's 20-1 win over Old Dominion last year was very real.
The Cavaliers allowed the Monarchs only eight shots en route to the easy win in Norfolk. Old Dominion's lone goal marked their lowest offensive output of the season.
Fresh off their victory over No. 2 Duke, the Virginia women's lacrosse team will return to the field tonight against Old Dominion.
With the way Virginia has been playing lately, the Monarchs should be very concerned about a similar result.Virginia is riding a four-game winning streak in which they have played very well in all aspects of the game. The offense has been scoring goals in bunches and the defense is much improved from the beginning of the year. The Duke game also showed the team's tenacity as they found themselves locked in a close game against a top-notch opponent and still came out the victor.
Coach Julie Myers praised the team's mental toughness, noting "how resilient [the players] were" after playing much of the game against the Blue Devils from behind.
"We were down early -- we were down two goals in the first five minutes," Myers said. "They really just chipped away. I thought we showed great maturity."
Old Dominion currently enjoys a winning streak of its own, having rattled off wins against Rutgers, Temple, and Towson. The Monarchs' record currently stands at 5-3.
If common opponents are any indication of how the game will play out, though, Old Dominion looks to be in trouble. Virginia and ODU have each played Maryland and Richmond. Virginia defeated the Terps 14-9, but ODU was routed 19-7. Neither team managed to defeat Richmond, but the Monarchs' 22-10 result does not compare favorably with the Cavaliers' close 8-7 contest.
Regardless of records or opponents, Virginia will look to play the best lacrosse they can and work to get better for the post-season tournaments.
Junior Kate Breslin led the charge last year against ODU, tallying four goals for the Cavaliers.
"Last year we were able to come out strong, and we're hoping to do that again," Breslin said. "But we can't overlook anyone."
According to Myers, Old Dominion will attempt to play a slower style, especially on defense, and try to keep the score low.
"They're going to try to take more time off the clock," Myers said. "They play a different, more patient attack than we're used to."
To combat ODU's slower pace, Virginia's defenders will also have to play more aggressively and attempt to force more turnovers. Old Dominion's pace puts them at risk of being carved up by well-executed fast breaks, and Myers believes Virginia will have opportunities to improve its transition game.
"It's a great chance for our defense to practice pressuring out and really trying to force a team to come to goal," Myers said. "It'll be a slightly different defensive game plan for us, and a great opportunity for us to continue to work on our fast break offense."
Face-off is at 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.
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