After reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last season, Virginia women’s lacrosse faces expectations to earn the program’s first national championship since 2004. Last season’s semifinal result, a loss to conference foe Syracuse, was the best finish for the Cavaliers since the 2007 season when they lost in the title game against Northwestern.
“I think we have really high expectations,” coach Julie Myers said. “We have a taste of success in our mouth, so I think what we’re starting off this year is trying to finish what we started last year. We’re really excited. We have great leadership in our fourth- and fifth-year class. They’re the hardest workers on our team, and they’re doing a really nice job of setting the tone for everyone to follow.”
Of the nine starters returning for No. 7 Virginia, six are seniors. All-Americans midfielder Morgan Stephens, attacker Courtney Swan and attacker Liza Blue lead that fourth and fifth year class, which has improved in terms of postseason results since its first year, when Virginia lost in the first round of the Tournament.
“I think the way we ended our season last year and because people know that we have a lot of returners, they’re looking for us to do well and not to really surprise teams this year,” Swan said. “It’s definitely an expectation.”
Last season, Swan and Blue were tops on the team in scoring. Swan was also tied with fellow senior attacker Casey Bocklet in assists and led the team in draw controls.
Stephens led the team in caused turnovers while senior midfielder Daniela Eppler was tied with now-graduated Liz Colgan for the most ground balls won.
Colgan was the starting goalkeeper for the Cavaliers last season. Virginia also lost midfielder Maddy Keeshan, who scored three goals in the semifinal game against Syracuse, and defender Lauren Goerz.
Replacing Colgan this year is freshman goalkeeper Rachel Vander Kolk, who recorded 11 saves in the season-opening scrimmage against No. 17 Georgetown Saturday.
“I think our team is only as good as every class,” Myers said. “I think we’ve got the great leadership and experience at the very top, and the first years are absolutely going to have to shake things up and really push everybody not only in practice but be ready for game time as well. The harder the first years work, the harder the second years will, and then the second years will push the third years and so on.”
In the scrimmage, the Virginia attack dominated early to take a 5-0 lead despite Georgetown’s dominating time of possession. Junior attacker Kelly Boyd scored four goals in regulation, while Bocklet added three goals and three assists.
“I think their teamwork, hustle and determination was pretty resilient all the way through from start to finish,” Myers said. “There are a couple parts of our game we need to still practice and get some repetitions in with, but I think all told, they did a great job with their transition game. They really didn’t make any mistakes. We need to clean our shooting a bit, but I think we have a lot of great players to work with, and I like our good work and how we’re approaching the year.”
The Cavaliers will return to the field this Saturday against No. 5 Northwestern hoping to avoid what Meyers calls last season’s “bad record,” when the team lost six of its first 10 games.
“We played some great teams that ended up in the top four, top six of the country,” Myers said. “We weren’t bad in the beginning—we just came up short a couple times too many and that is what really affected us, but the nice thing was when we had a second chance at those teams, we were the team that was standing on top at the end. We did change our schedule a little bit, but it’s still tough and anything can happen. But I do like the maturity on our team and our focus and our drive, and I think that will take care of a lot.”
The Cavaliers also began the 2014 season against Northwestern, losing 13-12, and have not won in any of their last eight meetings against the Wildcats. After playing Northwestern in Kennesaw, Georgia, the Cavaliers will play three road games before opening their home schedule.
“I kind of love the road,” Myers said. “Clearly you’re playing on an opponent’s field, and it’s not so familiar to us, but it’s pretty much the same field everywhere you go, same dimensions, same size goal. I like that it’s going to give us a chance to really bond off the field because I think a group of women like ours, the closer we feel off the field, the better we’re going to play on the field.”
Players disagree about road time, but do agree on is the excitement of starting a new season.
“I don’t love being on the road, but I like that we’re starting,” Blue said. “We’re up for any challenge. That’s just the way it is.”
“You either have a bunch to start at home or a bunch away,” Swan said. “I think if we can really pull out some good wins in those away games, it will make coming back to Klöckner even better.”
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