Home Bocklet scores in the final seconds to give UVA women’s lacrosse 16-15 victory at Penn State
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Bocklet scores in the final seconds to give UVA women’s lacrosse 16-15 victory at Penn State

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uva lacrosseThe No. 8 UVA women’s lacrosse team (2-2, 0-1 ACC) earned a 16-15 victory at No. 9 Penn State (3-1) on Saturday (Feb. 28) at the indoor field at Holuba Hall.

The back-and-forth contest had nine lead changes before senior Casey Bocklet (South Salem, N.Y.) scored the game-winner with four seconds remaining in regulation.

“This was a great ending to a game that was really hard-fought the entire time,” said Virginia head coach Julie Myers. “It was really nice to see a big save that led to a transition ball and the Casey Bocklet goal at the end. It was exactly what our team needed, a close game and a gut-check and then to have big plays all over the field that we saw through to a win. Every game is going to be pretty challenging and pretty tough, so I am proud of our girls. I think they did a nice job. We got better today and we have a lot of season ahead of us.”

Senior Courtney Swan (Vero Beach, Fla.) had eight points, scoring four goals on four shots with four assists, also winning nine draw controls. Redshirt senior Liza Blue (Butler, Md.) scored three goals with two assists. Sophomore Kelly Reese (Severna Park, Md.) had her first career hat trick with three goals. Bocklet scored two goals with an assist.

Penn State’s Madison Cyr scored five goals. Maggie McCormick had five assists.

Virginia freshman goalie Rachel Vander Kolk (Severna Park, Md.) had 13 saves, including 10 in the final half.

Virginia took an early 3-1 lead, but the two teams were tied 10-10 at halftime. The Nittany Lions scored the first two goals of the second half, taking a 12-10 lead with 21 minutes remaining. Back-to-back scores from Reese tied the game at 12. Swan gave the Cavaliers a one-goal lead, 13-12, midway through the period, but back-to-back Penn State goals put the Nittany Lions up 14-13 with 12:28 remaining. The Cavaliers won the ensuing draw, with Mary Alati (Glen Ridge, N.J.) scoring 17 seconds later to tie the game for the eighth time. Blue and Swan combined for a goal with 3:44 remaining, but Penn State knotted the game up, 15-15, with 2:26left.

Virginia won the ensuing draw control, but turned the ball over with one minute remaining. Syracuse’s Kelly Lechner took a shot with 20 seconds on the clock with Vander Kolk making the save. Senior Morgan Stephens (Olney, Md.) cleared the ball, passing it ahead to Blue. Blue slung an on-line pass to Bocklet in front of the goal, who scored.

Time expired as the teams battled for the ensuing draw control.

Penn State had a 35-28 edge in shots. Virginia picked up 15 ground balls to Penn State’s nine.

Virginia returns to Charlottesville for the home opener against Harvard on Tuesday, March 3 at 4 p.m.before playing at No. 2 North Carolina on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m.

Single-game reserved seats are available for all women’s home games for $7. Single-game general admission adult tickets for women’s home games are $5, while youth (18 and under), seniors (60 and over), and UVa faculty and staff tickets are $4 each.

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