No. 3 Virginia field hockey took on No. 11 Syracuse in the ACC Quarterfinals Tuesday at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Cavaliers (13-3, 6-2 ACC) entered the matchup having not lost to the Orange (12-5, 4-4 ACC) since 2015 — including a trademark victory Oct. 18. As a bonus ahead of the game, the week had gone swimmingly for Virginia. The Cavaliers won an exciting overtime battle at Wake Forest Friday, and Senior back Jans Croon was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year Monday. Unfortunately, that momentum was squashed by the Orange in the form of a 1-0 defeat.
Croon and the defense stepped up, but Coach Ole Keusgen’s offense failed to score. Aspirations of Virginia’s first ACC Championship for the first time since 2016 were ended, as was a streak of 12 consecutive victories over Syracuse. Ahead of the NCAA Tournament beginning Nov. 15, the Cavaliers will certainly fall down the national rankings — and will need to meticulously address their inconsistent offense.
The first half of the game was extremely physical — a brand of field hockey that has usually been perfect for Keusgen’s aggressive offensive philosophy. Both teams earned multiple green cards early, and Virginia earned two corners in the first quarter. However, the Cavaliers failed to convert on either of them — a theme that would become hauntingly consistent throughout the game as the Orange backline was impenetrable.
On the other hand, Syracuse also had an opportunity to get a 1-0 lead early — but their potential goal was overturned by a video review. While Virginia caught a break through the review, it would soon receive a massive setback as senior midfielder Noa Boterman received a yellow card.
Deadlocked in an intense 0-0 game, the Orange eventually found the net for the game’s only score three minutes into the second quarter — junior midfielder Lana Hamilton scored with a second-chance shot for her third goal of the season. Defending while down a player due to Boterman’s penalty would prove costly for the Cavaliers.
Immediately following the score, senior midfielder Willemijn Boogert received a green card, which pulled Syracuse down to ten players on the field. Virginia then received the perfect opportunity to strike back but just could not capitalize. The Cavaliers drew their third corner of the afternoon, but Croon’s attempt was deflected away. Shortly after, another opportunity to score was denied by Syracuse as graduate goalkeeper Louise Pert locked down the goal.
A few minutes later, junior midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler earned yet another corner courtesy of an obstruction penalty. But once again, Virginia was not able to capitalize with the resulting shot by Boterman going high and away. The Cavaliers headed to the locker room scoreless after the first half brawl, trailing 1-0 despite receiving several opportunities deep in Orange territory.
Virginia came out in the third quarter much cleaner and more fired up than in the first half but still failed to equalize the score. Although the Cavaliers took eight shots in the second half to the Orange’s zero, nothing materialized.
After a yellow card was issued on Syracuse to junior midfielder Lieke Leeggangers, Virginia found itself with a numbers advantage. However, the result was another lost opportunity for a struggling scoring unit. In perhaps its best chance to score on the day, a second chance shot by freshman midfielder Amelie Rees was barely unable to find its way into the net with Pert protecting the goal. That missed opportunity spelled doom for the Cavaliers as watched a potential tying goal careen away.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for Virginia. Although they played well and did not allow any shots — while putting up four — the Cavaliers were blocked from actually scoring. They continued to grow more desperate as the final minutes waned.
With the final few minutes quickly evaporating, Keusgen pulled sophomore goalkeeper Nilou Lempers in an act of desperation to get more offensive power on the field. However, those efforts were in vain as time expired. For the first time in program history. Virginia was shut out by the Orange.
Now, the Cavaliers will attempt to move past this frustrating loss as they await the finalized NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be announced Sunday at 10 p.m. But before then, Keusgen’s offense is in need of serious repair — Virginia has scored more than two goals against a ranked opponent just once in 2024. The Cavaliers must figure out how to capitalize on scoring opportunities and manufacture leads in the first half. The troublesome trend of losing close games despite receiving ample scoring opportunities is a glaring red flag ahead of a final postseason push.
Clutch offense is the biggest key to postseason success. Last season, Virginia fell in the NCAA Semifinal to eventual champion North Carolina — with a familiar weakness leading to defeat. Whether or not the Cavaliers will find timely scoring remains to be seen, but their NCAA Tournament result will have a direct correlation to what doomed them Tuesday. For now, Keusgen and company will have over a week to address their Achilles’ heel. If they can somehow solve their greatest issue, then there is no limit to what Virginia can accomplish.
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