After winning their last regular-season and first ACC Tournament match to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Virginia field hockey team lost its first-round match to Penn State Saturday 3-2 to end Virginia's season. Junior Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn added an assist and scored a goal for the Cavaliers.
After denying the Nittany Lions three times on short corners to start the game, Virginia drew a short corner of its own. Sophomore Traci Ragukas was able to redirect a shot by Sijpesteijn to give the Cavaliers the lead in the 24th minute. The Cavaliers held onto this lead going into halftime.
The Nittany Lions, however, responded with two goals in a 90-second span from junior Britney Long and senior Mallory Weisen early in the second half. Senior Shaun Banta then scored on a rebound to extend the lead to 3-1 in the 55th minute.
Sijpesteijn added her goal off another Virginia short corner in the 65th minute to cut the lead to 3-2, but the Cavaliers did not manage another shot for the remaining five minutes of regulation.
The loss marks the last career match for Abby Taylor, Virginia's lone true senior. In her time with the Cavaliers, Taylor notched 10 goals and 17 assists in 78 games.
The Nittany Lions went on to defeat the two-time defending champion Maryland in the second round to advance to Friday's Final Four, where they will meet Wake Forest.
--compiled by Paul Montana
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