Virginia women’s lacrosse enjoyed the road trip to Berkeley, Calif. Saturday, nabbing its first ACC win of the season. Although things started slow for the Cavaliers (3-2, 1-1 ACC), they found their offensive rhythm en route to a scoring frenzy against California (2-3, 0-1 ACC), coming away with the 20-9 win.
The offensive explosion was a well-balanced one, with five Cavaliers tallying at least three points on the day. Sophomore midfielder Madison Alaimo and sophomore attacker Jenna Dinardo were particularly outstanding, picking up four assists and five goals, respectively.
Another factor that contributed to the lopsided scoreline was Virginia’s dominance on the draw. Sophomore midfielder Kate Galica recorded 15 draw controls along with a hat trick, allowing the Cavaliers to lengthen their scoring runs and control the pace of the game. Overall, Virginia outdrew the Golden Bears by a 20-7 margin.
Command of the tempo was key to the Cavaliers’ victory, as California set up their defense in numerous schemes. The normal, fast-paced play that Virginia usually employs on the attack was not always the best method. The Cavaliers did well to take things slow at times, and understand the weaknesses in the Golden Bears’ defensive shape.
Initially, the contest seemed to be another edition of Virginia’s early-season struggles. Halfway through the first quarter, California led 3-2 and had scored twice via free-position attempts. The lingering issues of foul trouble and subpar defensive work seemed to be rearing their head once again, but a goal from freshman midfielder Payton Sfreddo — the first of her college career — sparked the team into action.
Sfreddo’s score started a run of five unanswered to end the quarter, but the Golden Bears fought back to keep the game close midway through the second period. The Cavaliers did well to squash California’s hopes, though, and would go on a streak of nine unanswered goals to essentially put the game out of reach for the home team.
Virginia’s offensive unit worked like a well-oiled machine once it got going. The timing, accuracy, and finesse of the Cavaliers’ passes and movements were a spectacle to watch, and the Golden Bears’ defense didn’t have enough to counter with.
Coach Sonia LaMonica’s squad will need to perform up to that same level on the attacking side consistently to remain a conference threat. Previous losses against solid teams in Navy and Stanford were characterized by stretches of lackluster offensive play. Keeping that side of the field fluid and creative will be necessary to compete against some of college lacrosse’s best, later down the line.
Virginia will look to keep up their goal scoring form when they travel to face out of conference opponents Richmond Wednesday. The matchup is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
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