The No. 8 UVA field hockey team (12-6, 4-2 ACC) closed out its regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference slate with a 5-3 loss at No. 14 Boston College (12-5, 3-3 ACC) on Friday (Oct. 24), but will still finish the year as the ACC regular-season co-champions.
Sophomore striker Caleigh Foust (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) scored Virginia’s first two goals while freshman midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) converted her sixth penalty stroke of the season and also added an assist.
“What a great ACC game, though I am, of course, disappointed by the outcome,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “It was a great atmosphere here on Boston College’s senior night. BC was definitely on fire. It was an even game all around. The stats were even. The play was even up and down the field. They just put the ball into the goal more than we did.”
Both teams took 15 shots, with BC holding a 4-1 edge in penalty corners, scoring on two of those opportunities. Senior goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone (Paisley, Scotland) logged seven saves. Redshirt sophomore Rebecca Holden (Fishing Creek, N.J.) played the final 4:16 in goal for the Cavaliers, but did not face a shot. Boston College’s Leah Settipane played the entire game in goal, making eight saves.
Despite the loss, Virginia finished off conference play as the ACC regular-season co-champions. The Cavaliers, with two conference losses, will finish the season tied atop the conference standings with either North Carolina or Wake Forest. The Tar Heels and Demon Deacons, who each have two losses, play one another on Saturdayafternoon. If the Tar Heels win, Virginia will earn the top seed in the ACC Tournament by virtue of its victory this season over UNC. If the Demon Deacons prevail, Virginia will be the No. 2 seed with Wake owning that tiebreaker. The complete tournament bracket will be released Saturday (Oct. 25) evening.
This is Virginia’s third ACC regular season title, having previously accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1998. Though regular-season titles are tracked, the winner of the ACC tournament is the official ACC champion and will earn the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Boston College scored 1:13 into the game, but Foust answered two minutes later by picking up a rebound and smacking it into the goal. Four minutes after that, Foust scored on a baseline cross from Vittese to give Virginia a 2-1 lead 6:45 into the game. The Eagles tied the game with ten minutes left in the period and took a 3-2 lead on a penalty corner with just over a minute remaining in the first half.
The Eagles extended the lead to 4-2 after scoring off another penalty corner 15 minutes into the second period. Virginia pulled to within a goal, 4-3, after Vittese was fouled on a shot right in front of the net, setting up her penalty stroke chance. BC got the goal back six minutes later, converting its own penalty stroke.
Virginia finishes off the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 26 with a 12 p.m. game at Boston University. Live stats and live streaming video will be available with links posted on VirginiaSports.com.
The ACC Tournament is being held at Duke University’s Jack Katz Stadium in Durham, N.C., on Thursday, Nov. 6, Friday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 9.
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