The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team continues its seven-game road trip Wednesday when it travels to Harrisonburg to tackle James Madison. The Cavaliers look to bounce back from a tough loss Sunday to another in-state foe, No. 12 Old Dominion.
Questions surround enigmatic Virginia (2-2) ahead of the midweek matchup with the Dukes (1-2). Sunday's loss was the Cavaliers' second loss to a ranked opponent this season, and despite the small sample size, Virginia's early struggles going against top teams constitutes a warning sign for the young squad. The Monarchs scored during the first minute of Sunday's game and did not look back as they added two more goals late in the first half en route to a convincing 4-1 victory.
When asked to diagnose the problems against Old Dominion (4-0), sophomore midfielder Katie Robinson chalked it up to ODU's physical presence and early energy.
"They're a good team, so we have to give them credit for that," Robinson said. "I think we weren't ready in the first minute, and we went down a goal."
Although they were not able to make a comeback against the Monarchs, the Cavaliers remained confident and drew on some positives after the performance.
"I don't think we played badly," junior forward Britt Knouse said. "[After ODU's first goal] we basically controlled the next 20 minutes of the game. I think it was just a matter of us not scoring in those 20 minutes."
ODU scored again in the 24th minute and then added a third just a minute later by breaking through a Virginia defense that had held strong for most of the first half. The two goals were enough to sink the collective spirits of the Cavaliers, who could not regroup afterwards.
"Them scoring their second goal made us a little frantic, and we kind of lost our focus," Knouse said. Knouse said that she trusts the young Cavalier squad can take the ODU disappointment as one step along the way to sustained success, however.
Sophomore forward Carissa Vittese converted a penalty corner rebound in the 64th minute for a Cavalier consolation goal, her second of the season, and provided a silver lining to an otherwise subpar result.
"It's still early in the season and we're a young team, so there's plenty of room to grow," Robinson said.
The team hopes to take several strides in the right direction against JMU. Freshman forward Taylor West leads the Dukes' offense with three goals and an assist in three games so far this season.
JMU is coming off a close 2-0 home loss to No. 6 Ohio State Sunday and eyes a second chance to avenge the defeat and reassert home field advantage against Virginia. The Dukes' only victory to date came during a 4-1 home win Friday against Appalachian State. The Cavaliers last played JMU in 2008 - a 1-0 overtime loss in Harrisonburg - and last defeated the Dukes in a 3-1 home win in 2007.\nFor Virginia, the focus remains on continued team growth as well as on reinforcing the tactics which will make them successful as the season continues - and more tough opponents appear on the schedule.
"Every game is a new game, and I think our team knows there are not going to be easy games this year," Knouse said. "We're a young team, so we're going to have to work together and keep building on each practice and getting stronger as a team."
Wednesday's action kicks off at 7 p.m. in Harrisonburg.
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