After slipping from their top-three preseason ranking, The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team heads to Oxford, Ohio this weekend for matches against Miami and Michigan State.
Virginia goes into the weekend after a needed 3-0 shutout Wednesday at James Madison, during which a more cohesive Cavaliers team controlled almost all aspects of the game and held the Dukes to a 13-3 shot deficit. Despite their many scoring opportunities, the Cavaliers failed to score a goal in the first half, and the contest remained tied until sophomore forward Elly Buckley broke the game open for the Cavaliers, scoring Virginia's first goal in the 52nd minute. Buckley, an All-ACC preseason choice, leads the team in scoring with four goals on the season.
"[Buckley] was a catalyst that helped sparked the team and help get us going," coach Michele Madison said. "I think she scored and it just gave the belief that we could do this."
Virginia added two more goals during the second half, including the first career goal for redshirt freshman midfielder Sarah Weber, to seal the victory. After dropping two of its previous three games, the Cavaliers are glad to claim in-state bragging rights ahead of the trip to Oxford.
"We had two tough games in the west," Madison said. "We played well, and we're just happy to gain some momentum going to the weekend."
The team did not have much time to rest on their laurels, though, as they traveled to Ohio yesterday morning for their next series. Although the quick turnaround will break the Cavaliers' normal routine, Madison said the team will adjust by "watching some film, and [doing] in the meeting room what we normally do on the practice field."
Friday, Virginia meets the Miami RedHawks (1-3), who come into the game off their first win of the season, a 3-0 victory against Rutgers last Sunday. The shutout was a welcome reprieve for a RedHawks team which has been out-scored 62-28 so far this season. Miami has been particularly weak during the second halves of games this year, giving up seven goals while only scoring two.
The offense is led by junior midfielder Olivia Miller, whose two goals and one assist make her the team's leader in points. Virginia last met Miami in the 2009 season opener, coming away with a dominating 7-0 victory in Charlottesville.
Saturday sees the Cavaliers stay in Ohio to take on Michigan State. The Spartans are looking for their season's elusive first win after dropping their first five games thus far, most recently in a tough 5-0 loss at Boston against No. 18 Northeastern. Michigan State has had trouble matching opponents this season, scoring just over one goal per game while giving up more than three. Virginia played host to the Spartans in their last meeting in 2009, taking a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Virginia realizes that early wins build a strong base for the season, and the team knows that a strong performance against two struggling teams this weekend will help to stabilize an up-and-down season.
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