No. 3 hockey overpowers William & Mary, extends winning streak to nine – The Cavalier Daily

No. 3 Virginia field hockey welcomed William & Mary home Sunday in a non-conference game after three straight ACC games. Fresh from a tough 1-0 victory against No. 9 Duke in Durham, NC, the undefeated No. 3 Cavaliers (9-0, 3-0 ACC) earned a 4-1 victory over the unranked Tribe (0-10, 0-1 CAA) to advance their perfect performance to continue season.

Although the scoreboard was in Virginia's favor, the team converted only four of a total 29 shots on goal, thanks in large part to the excellent goalkeeping work of graduate goalkeeper Maddie George for the Tribe. George made 12 saves between the sticks for the winless Tribe, who surprisingly held the Cavaliers to just four goals. Coach Ole Keusgen was not happy with the team's offensive performance.

Not good enough, it's that simple, Keusgen said. We obviously dominated the match, but in the end we had to investigate why we couldn't finish those situations as a team, but also individually.

Despite a quiet day at the office for Virginia, sophomore forward Mia Abello was a highlight. After missing two games due to a hamstring injury, Abello has returned to full strength for the side in the last two matches with two goals, the second of which came in the second quarter on Sunday. She also scored the game-winner against the Blue Devils on Friday.

It was difficult not playing for two games, Abello said. But it was really fun to get out today and Friday.

Abello and the Cavaliers started the match in a frenzied battle for possession in the center of the pitch, with both teams registering shots in the opening minutes. Despite outscoring its opponents 25-8 during the match, Virginia struggled to get the ball past George, who currently ranks second in the nation in saves per game.

A handful of early substitutions put pressure on William & Mary's defensive front, but it wasn't until eight minutes into the game that Virginia was able to break through. After a green card sent graduate midfielder Meghen Hengerer to the sideline, senior midfielder Dani Mendez-Trendler attempted a shot from the baseline that George blocked. The ball deflected off her pads onto the stick of senior forward Taryn Tkachuk, who knocked it into the net to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.

Tkachuk's goal proved to be a momentum changer for the Cavaliers. A deflection of a shot from senior midfielder Sloan Davidson in the second quarter allowed Abello to maneuver between the Tribe defenders and shoot from the top of the circle for her third goal of the season, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Virginia then kept its foot on the gas pedal for the entire first half. Just minutes after Abello scored, junior midfielder Lauren Kenah pocketed a defender to dribble along the baseline and lift the ball over George's head. Freshman forward Amelie Rees then swept the ball out of the air and into the back of the net, giving the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead with the first goal of her collegiate career.

With the clock running, Tkachuk sped past multiple Tribe defenders to slide a pass across the goal, where graduate Lily Hengerer tapped the ball in to take a commanding 4-0 lead.

Not to be outdone, William & Mary returned with a vengeance in the third quarter, earning the game's first corner kick less than five minutes into the period. Senior forward Kellen Richbourg slipped the ball to senior forward Sara Bartzen, whose shot snuck past senior goalkeeper Tyler Kennedy amid the chaos in front of the goal.

With a goal on the board and momentum on their side, the Tribe had most of the ball in the second half, shutting down a Virginia offense that had an 11-0 advantage in shots in the second quarter. The only real offensive challenge the Cavaliers posed came midway through the fourth quarter, when senior defender Jans Croon flew a reverse goal into the net from a corner kick. However, the shot was deemed dangerous and the goal was overturned.

Virginia's defense stayed strong throughout the game, never letting the Tribe get closer than three goals at any point. The final score was 4–1, marking the team's ninth straight win. Not everything went according to plan on Sunday afternoon, but it's hard for anyone to be upset about a perfect 9-0 record.

“I think where we are right now, we're playing really good hockey,” Keusgen said. So we look at the things we did well, to highlight the good, but also to see, okay, what do we need to do better?

Keusgens' crew will soon be back in action against an ACC foe, as the Cavaliers will return to ACC play on Friday at No. 12 Boston College in Newton, Massachusetts. The match starts at 4:30 PM and will be broadcast on ACCNX.