The No. 7 Virginia women's lacrosse team rebounded from a disappointing 11-8 loss against Duke with a convincing 9-5 win at Old Dominion last night.
Freshman midfielder Dana Boyle notched her first career hat trick, while sophomore midfielder Caroline McTiernan contributed two more goals for the Cavaliers (6-4) en route to their third victory against an in-state opponent. Boyd and McTiernan were just two of the younger members of the squad who earned opportunities to take the field against Old Dominion (1-6). Freshmen midfielders Lauren Goerz and Leigh Ruland also saw action on the offensive side of the ball.
Junior attackers Charlie Finnigan and Ainsley Baker, meanwhile, were held out. Prior to coach Julie Myers' decision to keep the two stars on the bench, Finnigan and Baker had scored in every game this season.
But even without two of their offensive leaders, the Cavaliers managed to build a 6-2 halftime lead because of an early offensive spurt. The Lady Monarchs, meanwhile, struggled to find any offensive consistency against goalkeeper Kim Kolarik. The sophomore limited Old Dominion to just three goals during the second half. Junior defender Bailey Fogarty - last week's ACC Defensive Player of the Week - assisted Kolarik in front of the cage by forcing four turnovers.
The Cavaliers will continue their three-game road stint with games against Harvard and Boston College this weekend.
-compiled by Ian Rappaport