#3 UVA field hockey upset by Ohio State, 4-3

The No. 3 UVA field hockey team (10-3, 4-0 ACC) had its nine-game win streak snapped with a 4-3 loss in overtime to Ohio State (4-7, 0-3 Big Ten) on Sunday (Oct. 5).

The Cavaliers withstood three early Ohio State short corner opportunities in the extra period, but the Buckeyes’ Emma Royce scored on their fourth chance 11:16 into overtime.

“This really wasn’t an easy game to play,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “You have to play through a lot of tough stuff when you face a team like Ohio State. They seemed to want to win this game a little more than we did today.”

Sophomore striker Caleigh Foust (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) scored a goal and had an assist. Sophomore striker Riley Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored a goal and freshman midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) converted a penalty stroke. Senior goalkeeper Jenny Johnstone (Paisley, Scotland) made five saves.

This was the fourth overtime game of the season for the Cavaliers and their first overtime loss. The loss also snapped a nine-game win streak for Virginia that began with a Sept. 7 victory over Princeton and included wins over six top-20-ranked teams.

All three of Virginia’s losses this season have come against Big Ten teams. Virginia’s only victory over a Big Ten team was a 4-3 overtime game against Rutgers on Sept. 14.

Ohio State took a 1-0 lead 14:27 into the game with Maddy Humphrey finishing after a breakaway by Peanut Johnson. Tata tapped in a cross from Foust six minutes later to tie the game.

Foust gave Virginia its first lead five minutes into the second half, smoking a pass from senior midfielder Kelsey LeBlanc (Haverford, Pa.) into the net. Ohio State tied the game at the 57:53 mark. Four minutes later, Tata was fouled right in front of the net to set up a penalty stroke, which Vittese converted to give UVa a 3-2 lead. Ohio State again tied the game on a second-chance shot after a penalty corner with less than five minutes left in the regulation. The Buckeyes’ Annabel Sams had a great look at the goal and a one-on-one with Johnstone in the final minute of the game, but Johnstone made a leaping save with the ball deflecting off her right arm to send the contest into overtime.

Ohio State outshot Virginia 4-1 in the extra period and had four penalty corner chances to Virginia’s two. Overall, Virginia had 16 shots with Ohio State taking 15.

Next weekend, the Cavaliers will play at Richmond at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night (Oct. 10) before returning home to begin a three-game home stand by hosting No. 16 Wake Forest on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. at Turf Field.