After a week off, the Cavaliers head into this weekend with a full plate. No. 19 Virginia will host Ohio (1-1) tonight and in-state rival No. 4 Old Dominion (2-0) Sunday afternoon. Despite a solid win against No. 10 Indiana to open the season last Saturday, the Cavaliers are well aware of the challenges that Ohio and Old Dominion will bring to Charlottesville.
"We'll have to take one game at a time," Virginia coach Michele Madison said.
In their two games this season, Ohio seems to have exhibited two entirely different styles of play. Sunday, the Bobcats suffered a 6-1 loss at the hands of Old Dominion. Just one day later, Ohio pulled off an upset over No. 7 Penn State.
Despite the inconsistencies in their two games, Madison expects the Bobcats to bring a style of play much like that of Indiana.
"I expect the same kind of relentless pressure, strong tackles and physical play," Madison said. "They'll move the ball."
Virginia will have to keep track of junior Torrie Albini. In just two games, Albini has scored a goal -- the game winner in the Bobcats' win over PSU -- and notched an assist in Ohio's loss to Old Dominion. Last year, Albini led the Mid-Atlantic Conference in goals (14) and points (29) and was named First-Team All-MAC.
Sophomores Rachelle Coetzee and twin sister Estienne Coetzee will also put pressure on the Cavalier defense. Estienne, who started 19 games as a freshman, earned Second-Team All-MAC honors. She scored eight times last year and tallied 17 points -- second on the team in both of those categories.
The true test for the Cavaliers, however, will be against Old Dominion Sunday. After a strong preseason, followed by an upset over Indiana, Virginia has met every challenge that has come its way thus far.
Old Dominion, though, will bring arguably one of the best lineups in the nation to Charlottesville this weekend. The Monarchs have outscored their opponents 9-2 in just two games thus far this year. Junior Sami McLenegan scored two goals in the win over Ohio and senior Dana Sensenig has netted three goals in the first two games for the Monarchs.
ODU boasts a significant amount of young talent as well. Freshman Katie Ueberroth has already proven that she can play against some of the nation's best. In the Monarchs' win over Penn State, Ueberroth scored twice and was credited with an assist. She was later named the Rookie of the Week in the Colonial Athletic Conference.
The Cavaliers possess their own set of impressive freshmen, however. After a two-goal performance in her first collegiate game, freshman Traci Ragukas was named the National Rookie of the Week by womensfieldhockey.com.
History, though, is not on Virginia's side. The Cavaliers have gone 0-9 against the Monarchs over the past nine years. In the games between Virginia and Old Dominion since 1996, the Monarchs have outscored the Cavaliers 44-14.
The Cavaliers have been concentrating on the games ahead of them rather than the past, though.
"We just have to play as hard as we can in practice and never let up," Ragukas said.
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