Finishing the regular season ranked No. 10 in the country with a 12-6 overall record, fifth seed Virginia will face No. 7 Boston College in the ACC quarterfinals.
Despite having lost to the Eagles 1-0 during the regular season, the Cavaliers are confident that this matchup will yield different results.
"We're happy to play B.C.," said Virginia coach Michele Madison. "It's a great opening match, but once you get here, all the matchups are good. We're happy to be playing."
Virginia has only defeated one ACC rival North Carolina, in the first conference game of the season. While Maryland is the leading team in the ACC and is ranked No. 1 in the country, the rest of the field boasts similarly talented teams, such as Duke and Wake Forest, which could present challenges to Virginia.
"I think that the way things have gone this year in the ACC, every game is anyone's," senior goaltender Kat Blair said. "Teams have beaten Maryland, we beat UNC, and UNC beat Boston College. It's just been a crazy year."
Coming off a loss to Duke in their season finale, the Cavalier offense and defense have been ranked nationally according to the NCAA, and the team secured the No. 5 seed for the ACC Tournament. Losing to Duke 3-1, Virginia nevertheless was strong defensively and prevented the Blue Devils from having a shutout against them.
"I think we have a solid game plan, and when we stick to it, we win," Blair said "This year we haven't always stuck to the game plan, and we've gotten in a bit of trouble."
Boston College heads into the quarterfinals coming off a loss to Wake Forest in their season's final game. Finishing the season 14-5 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, the Eagles' last victory over the Cavaliers could still present a challenge. While the teams have not yet been matched up in an ACC championship, Virginia's confidence in re-facing B.C. has helped prepare them.
"It's definitely useful to see everyone from scouting reports, videos and, most importantly, playing against them," said Madison. "We know how we match up with each team, so that's good. We'll get a second chance at B.C., so we're looking forward to that."
If the Cavaliers defeat the Eagles in the ACC quarterfinals, they will move up to challenge Maryland in the Semifinals. Boasting a 4-1 ACC record and 18-1 overall record, Maryland presents a formidable opponent for Virginia. Losing to the Terrapins 5-1 during the regular season, the Cavaliers have not been deterred from wanting to rematch the highest ranked team in the country.
"Maryland beat us by the biggest goal difference, but that just makes us want to play them more," Blair said. "We're ready for anybody."
While the stakes seem high for the entire ACC, the Cavaliers have not yet let that faze them. Despite facing question marks because of their lone ACC victory, Virginia goes into the quarterfinals with the poise of a team ranked in the top 10 in the country, a success that the team has earned by playing with the country's fourth toughest schedule and defeating teams ranked in the top of their conferences, such as in-state rival Richmond and the Big Ten's Indiana.
"Our destiny is in our own hands, and that's how we want it," Madison said.
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