The Virginia field hockey team closes out its home slate this Saturday at the University Hall Turf Field. This weekend, the Cavaliers take on a dominant Wake Forest squad that is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation by the National Coaches’ Poll. While the Cavaliers are sitting at a comfortable No. 13 in the national rankings, the team looks to improve this weekend after dropping its last two ACC games to North Carolina and No. 1 Maryland. The matchup against the Demon Deacons has both ACC and national title implications for Virginia.
“This game is very, very important to win, not only ACC-wise; we have dropped the last four out five,” senior goalkeeper Amy Desjadon said. “NCAA selections are coming up, and we need to win these games and we need to get back what we had. We need to put a few in the cage and win early on.”
The Cavaliers are vying for their third consecutive NCAA appearance and are hoping to advance to the Elite Eight after being knocked out last season by Penn State in their opening match.
Following the seniors’ last home game against Wake Forest, Virginia will be looking to best No. 4 Duke on the road next weekend in its final regular-season game. ACC play often has a great impact on the national stage, with conference teams Maryland, Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Boston College all ranked in the top 15 nationally.
“I think it’s very important — we have to prove back to ourselves that we can beat these teams and play well against the ACC teams which are four of the top five teams in the country,” senior midfielder Lucy Meyers said. “We just need to play our game to be able to compete again.”
Though Virginia head coach Michele Madison’s system of high-press coverage has proved successful for the Cavaliers since she took the helm in 2006 following a 12-year coaching stint at Michigan State, this season the team has had its share of difficulties to overcome, as several key players have been sidelined by injury and international commitments. Freshman forward Paige Selenski, the team’s leading scorer with 15 goals, represented the United States on the Junior National Team at the Pan American Games this fall; freshman midfielder Michelle Vittese missed eight games because of injury; and junior back Lauren Elstein was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Throughout all of this season’s personnel changes, senior leadership has been crucial to holding the team together. Madison expects a lot from her seniors, a group that includes All-American defender Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn as well as Desjadon and Meyers.
“[I expect them to] crush. Lead the way. Crush or be crushed,” Madison said. “They gotta put the team on their shoulders, that’s what it’s all about. That’s why they are seniors, and that’s what seniors do. Big players make big plays in big games.”
The postseason is on the line for the Cavaliers this Saturday against a Demon Deacon team that has outscored opponents 63-25 on the season. To win, the team must stick to its successful high-pressure system and put goals in the cage.
“I think we are still pretty confident; just as long as we stay true to our system, I think we are fine,” Meyers said. “The girls with the injuries — we know they are still going to play through it and play just as hard. We are still pretty confident. I am.”
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