In its third top-15 matchup in two weeks, No. 3 field hockey faced off against No. 8 Saint Joseph’s at home Sunday. Thanks to massive fan turnout from both teams, the atmosphere was rife with tension, contributing to the back-and-forth bout between the Cavaliers (10-2, 4-1 ACC) and the Hawks (11-2, 3-1 A10). In the end, it was Saint Joseph’s that came away with the win, downing Virginia 5-2.
Senior goalkeeper Tyler Kennedy had a rough outing, conceding a quintet of goals. As was the case in the Cavaliers’ other loss to then-No. 11 Boston College, Virginia’s usually stout defense was unable to stay afloat against a powerful offense.
The Hawks wasted no time showing why their offense is ranked second in the country in assists per game, goals per game and points per game — putting immediate pressure on the Virginia defense. Saint Joseph’s earned a corner opportunity just three minutes into the game, putting the Cavalier defense under duress early. Graduate striker Lily Santi attempted to put Saint Joseph’s out in front but was denied at point-blank range by Kennedy.
Virginia quickly regained possession, tooling a Saint Joseph’s defender to earn a long corner. Miscommunication by the offense almost led to the ball going out of play, but graduate midfielder Meghen Hengerer was there to sweep it across the goal. Unfortunately, no one was on the post and the Cavaliers walked away empty handed.
The Hawks used that momentum to earn a penalty corner just minutes later. Although the first two shots were blocked by senior back Emily Field and Kennedy, Santi managed to pass the ball to senior midfielder Sol Borensztein, who tipped it in to put Saint Joseph’s up 1-0. In an incredibly rare sight, Virginia was trailing at home.
Junior midfielder Lauren Kenah responded by driving the baseline to lift the ball over the shoulder of senior goalkeeper Marith Bijerk, but once again, the post was empty and Virginia could not equalize.
It was an eventful second quarter for both teams. A long ball from senior back Jans Croon to senior striker Taryn Ktachuk almost gave the Cavaliers their first official shot, but it proved to be too strong and Saint Joseph’s quickly took back control.
The Hawks continued to control most of the possession through the period, using aerial passes to bypass Virginia’s defense and notch a five-shot advantage — putting loads of pressure on Kennedy. A turnover by graduate midfielder Suze Leemans allowed Saint Joseph’s another look off a corner in transition. Graduate back Julia Duffhuis quickly took advantage, slamming the ball into the boards with a hard sweep that Kennedy was unable to stop. The Hawks took a commanding 2-0 lead, and the Cavaliers were looking overwhelmed.
Kenah attempted to find a Virginia striker in the circle, but Bijerk quickly sent the ball on its way. The Hawks looked to form a counter attack, but thankfully junior back Madison Orsi intercepted the pass.
It would not matter, as graduate midfielder Celeste Smits immediately stole the ball from Croon just outside the circle, maneuvering between defenders to earn a penalty corner. Saint Joseph’s was quick to utilize this opportunity, with Duffhuis executing the same sweep to tally her second goal of the game and bringing the lead to 3-0 lead in the process.
Determined not to let the game slip out of their hands, the Cavaliers fought their way into the Hawks’ defensive third. Sophomore striker Emma Watchilla found herself at point-blank range and fired off a backhand to score a goal and put Virginia back within two points, finally accumulating some momentum of their own. It was all for naught, however, and the first half ended with the Hawks up 3-1.
At the half, Saint Joseph’s held an edge of 7-1 in shots and 5-0 in corners, with Virginia scoring off its lone shot on goal. Kennedy and the defense just could not stop the potent Hawks attack, as Saint Joseph’s fired a barrage of shots at the Cavalier goal and continued to make Kennedy’s afternoon all the more difficult.
The third quarter saw the Cavaliers playing an intense game of catch-up. Croon sent a pass flying into the Hawks’ defensive third, which Watchilla immediately used to make her second backhand shot of the game. It went high, but it signified Virginia’s newfound offensive willpower. The Cavaliers were not going to go away quietly.
The match continued to heat up, especially in the stands. Impassioned shouts from Hawks and Cavaliers alike served as the soundtrack to the contest, making every play do-or-die. Coupled with several hard whistles in favor of the opponent, Virginia struggled to make a dent in the goal deficit, and the third quarter ended without a goal from either team.
As the fourth quarter began, it was clear that the Cavaliers were itching to get back within one goal of their opponent. Less than a minute into the period, Tkachuk deftly deflected the ball off of her stick, giving Watchilla a prime look in front of goal. While she was unable to finish, the look led to Virginia’s first corner of the game, over 45 minutes into the contest. At first, Saint Joseph’s held strong, but on the third corner, sophomore striker Mia Abello got the ball at the top of the circle and slammed it home to put the Cavaliers within one in a 3-2 deficit.
Throughout the final quarter, the Cavaliers gave up pointless turnovers that ultimately allowed Saint Joseph’s to get back into their defensive third. Virginia was handed a lucky save by the post off a shot from graduate striker Manu Ghigliotti, but they could not clear, allowing Smits to notch her third goal of the game. Now up 4-2, the Hawks were securely in the lead. Worse, Hengerer was taken out at the 53-minute mark by a green card, putting Virginia at an even greater disadvantage.
Desperate to even the score, the Cavaliers pulled Kennedy from the cage to bolster their numbers. The decision proved to be fatal, as Saint Joseph’s found its way back into their defensive third. After hitting a Virginia foot, Smits slipped a pass to Santi that found its way into the net, all but dashing Virginia’s hopes of a comeback at 5-2.
The Cavaliers looked to earn a corner with under four minutes to go, but the Hawks were able to overturn the initial call with a review. From there, the game spiraled out of Virginia’s control — frantic gameplay and a bleak scoreboard squashed any chance of victory. In the end, the Cavaliers ceded just their second match of the season, dropping to 10-2 overall.
Despite the unfavorable outcome, Virginia will need to regroup quickly before next weekend, when the Cavaliers will host No. 14 Syracuse Friday and celebrate senior day against Miami University of Ohio Sunday. The games will be held at Turf Field and will be broadcasted on ACCNX.
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