Tonight the 19th-ranked women's field hockey team travels to Farmville, Va. to take on Longwood?, a team the Cavaliers have beat in each of the last four years. The game is a break from what has been a very challenging stretch of conference games and will serve as an opportunity for the Cavaliers to work on both offense and defense in anticipation of games against Duke and Wake Forest that will wrap up the season.
Virginia enters the game coming off a 3-0 defeat at the hands of No. 1 North Carolina. Though the Cavalier defense played well, holding the Tar Heels below their season averages in shots and goals , the game showed room for offensive improvement. As a team, the Cavaliers were only able to manage one shot on goal against the Tar Heel defense.
Despite the low number of shooting opportunities, Virginia coach Michele Madison said the team prepared well for the contest.
"I thought they prepared well, they warmed up well, [and] they were disciplined in their defensive strategy," Madison said. "Attack-wise, you have to take chances if you're going to score. Traci [Ragukas] gave it a run, and Sara [Confer] gave it a run; and we got opportunities; and we got corners. I don't think it's a matter of intimidation."
The Cavs are not alone coming into Wednesday's game off a recent loss; the Lancers are currently riding a three-game losing streak, having fallen most recently to James Madison Sunday. Longwood is led by senior Katie Claxton who has twice as many points as any other Lancer. The Cavaliers will need to continue to play sound defense to slow down the prolific midfielder.
Offensively, the Cavaliers have a more balanced attack than the Lancers. The offense is led by sophomore Traci Ragukas and junior Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn. The two have combined to score 35 points thus far this season. On defense, Virginia's backline has been anchored by two goalkeepers, senior Amy Desjadon and freshman Devon Burnley.
Both the offense and the defense will have to play well tonight, as the game has become a must-win for the Cavaliers. Virginia is currently fighting for its second-straight berth in the NCAA Tournament, and a victory tonight would put the Cavaliers back on the right track after their tough conference loss.
"You can't take Longwood or anybody for granted, because as soon as you overlook someone, they come and kick you in the butt," Desjadon said. "Longwood -- it's just another opportunity for us to get out there and reestablish our press and to get our offense going again. It's just going to be a really good opportunity for us to get on the field and reestablish what we know we can do."
While Desjadon will look to solidify the defense, the offense will have to get things rolling again after being shut out by the Tar Heels. Virginia has failed to record a goal three times this year, twice against ACC opponents. The Cavaliers, however, have dominated unranked opponents, winning all seven of their games against them at this point in the season. Tonight, they will look to make Longwood number eight on the list.
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