Looking to rebound from a loss against North Carolina the week prior, Virginia women’s lacrosse hosted No. 15 Duke for a rainy ACC matchup at Klöckner Stadium Saturday. Although the Cavaliers (5-3, 2-2 ACC) initially fell behind the Blue Devils (6-3, 2-2 ACC), coach Sonia LaMonica and her team rallied at halftime to complete a seemingly impossible come-from-behind victory, beating Duke 16-11.
The weather was a significant factor in the match, preventing both teams from playing their usual brand of lacrosse. Even the referees were affected, with one even falling in the path of a Virginia player during a clear. Players wearing white and blue alike went sliding, and what normally would have been an aggressive contest quickly became dirty.
It was obvious from the beginning that Virginia was sorely missing senior attacker and captain Kate Miller whose season came to a heartbreaking end against the Tar Heels last week. Coupled with the poor weather conditions, what had thus far been a strong team appeared shaky and uncertain in the first few minutes.
However, Miller’s absence forced other Cavaliers to step up — chief among them senior midfielder Abby Manalang and senior goalkeeper Abby Jansen. Manalang anchored Virginia through a difficult first half, calming the Cavaliers when they began to lose control of the game. On the offensive end, she scored four goals and assisted one, while her stalwart defense helped Virginia retain possession and mount critical counterattacks.
In net, Jansen’s performance in the net was nothing short of spectacular, registering five saves and a .625 save percentage. Sophomore attacker Jenna DiNardo emphasized Jansen’s great showing between the pipes.
“She was actually playing lights out,” DiNardo said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better [performance]…she was saving all shots, kicking balls away, just making a big energy boost for us.”
The first quarter saw the Cavaliers playing catchup early, with the Blue Devils scoring two goals in as many minutes. Although junior goalkeeper Mel Josephson responded with some nice saves, Duke had gained too much momentum. By the time the first quarter ended, Virginia was facing a six goal deficit.
Sophomore midfielder Kate Galica put a stop to the Cavaliers’ near-16 minute scoreless streak early in the second quarter, capitalizing off of a free position shot. She notched her second goal of the match off of an incredible pass from DiNardo. Manalang followed soon after with two of her own, but the Blue Devils still led 4-9 at halftime.
Just before the end of the first half, LaMonica switched Josephson out for Jansen — a decision that undeniably turned the tide in Virginia’s favor. Jansen shined under the pressure, forming an impenetrable wall that stunned the Duke offense.
Behind Jansen, the Cavaliers rallied, transforming from the subdued, fractured team of the first half to a cohesive unit that took over the game and never looked back. Sophomore attacker Addi Foster scored her first goal of the contest minutes into the second half, extending her streak from the last three games, in which she has scored at least once. Not to be outdone, DiNardo and Manalang both tallied goals of their own, all but erasing the Blue Devils’ once-imposing lead.
The most crucial play of the match, however, occurred when sophomore midfielder Madison Alaimo — who has had either a goal or assist in every game this season, a streak she shared with Foster — broke free from almost five Duke defenders to find Foster alone in front of goal. The crowd erupted to its feet, screaming in disbelief, as Foster smashed the ball past the defenseless Blue Devil goalkeeper. The same scoreboard that read 0-6 just a few minutes before now read 8-10.
With momentum squarely on the Virginia’s’ side, the atmosphere at Klöckner was electric, and the Cavaliers on the field channeled that energy. DiNardo responded with another goal, narrowing the deficit to just one. Manalang added on soon after.
With under five minutes left in the third quarter, it was just a matter of when the Cavaliers would take the lead. Just as she has all season, Galica took charge, firing off a shot that had the entire stadium on its feet. With her tenacity up front and Jansen holding steady in the back, Virginia began to dominate, scoring another three goals to end the third quarter up 14-10.
Production in the fourth quarter slowed considerably, but the Cavaliers were far from finished. Freshman attacker Gabby LaVerghetta scored her first goal of the season thanks to a well-placed pass by Alaimo, and Galica and DiNardo teamed up for the former’s fourth goal of the game.
When the buzzer finally sounded at Klöckner, signaling the end of the match, the scoreboard read 16-11.
Somehow, despite a six goal deficit, terrible weather and the vacancy of their team captain, Virginia pulled off an upset against a ranked team that many would have thought impossible.
The Cavaliers return Wednesday, March 19 when they will take a short in-state trip to play James Madison in Harrisonburg. The match is slated to begin at 6 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
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