The No. 11 Virginia women's lacrosse team routed instate foe George Mason last night as the Cavaliers (9-5) managed to double the scoring output of their opponents. The Cavaliers strung together an impressive second-half performance on offense en route to a 14-7 win - the team's third straight triumph.
Following a low-scoring opening half that ended with the two teams knotted at two goals apiece, junior attackers Josie Owen and Julie Gardner led the Cavaliers to a 12-goal performance during the second half. Both Owen and Gardner notched hat-tricks following halftime, and Owen went on to lead all Cavalier scorers with a career-high five goals.
The Cavaliers' offensive onslaught began with less than 18 minutes of play remaining when the squad went on a 6-0 tear that gave Virginia a 12-4 advantage. From there, the Virginia defense held off George Mason's late game surge to secure the victory. The Cavaliers held the Patriots (3-10) to just eight shots during the second half and 19 shots on the night.
Coach Julie Myers brought 13 players off the bench to see in-game action.
Virginia now will begin preparation for the ACC Tournament, slated to begin next Thursday in Cary, N.C. The Cavaliers' seeding will be announced Saturday.
-compiled by Ian Rappaport