The No. 9 Virginia field hockey team (4-0) closed out its weekend road trip with a 4-3 overtime victory at No. 15 Princeton (0-2) on Sunday (Sept. 6) at 1 p.m. in Princeton, N.J.
Junior striker Caleigh Foust (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) forced overtime by scoring with 50 seconds left in the game. Freshman striker Greta Ell (Plains, Pa.) scored the game-winner with nine seconds remaining in the first overtime period.
“This was a total-team effort,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “I was really proud of the courage they showed today and the stamina they had to come out and play with a very good Princeton team. There were many swings in momentum today but we were able to generate the attack we needed it.”
This was the second-straight Sunday in which Virginia has earned an overtime victory over a ranked team. Last Sunday (Aug. 30), UVa downed No. 7 Penn State, 4-3, in overtime in Charlottesville with freshman Nikki Freeman (Downington, Pa.) scoring that game-winner.
Princeton took the first lead, 1-0, 15:19 into the game when the Tigers scored off a penalty corner. Sophomore midfielder Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) tied the game 13 minutes later after passing the ball to Ell who then passed it back to Vittese who scored just inside the right post.
Princeton had six penalty corner chances in the first seven minutes of the second half, but the Virginia defense held on each. Virginia took its first lead, 2-1, 12 minutes into the second half when freshman midfielder Izzy McDonough (Kennett Square, Pa.) scored her first career goal, converting a pass from junior striker Riley Tata (Virginia Beach, Va.). Princeton answered two minutes later, retying the game on a penalty corner. The Tigers took a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining in regulation when Sophia Tornetta converted a penalty stroke.
Trailing by a goal in the final minute, junior midfielder Lucy Hyams (Whitstable, England) found open space, taking off on a breakaway. Hyams passed the ball to Foust who tied the game, 3-3, with 50 seconds remaining.
In the overtime period, Virginia took 10 shots, with Princeton’s goalie Anya Gersoff making seven saves. In the final seconds, Vittese dribbled past a pair of defenders, creating a fast break opportunity, passing to Ell on the left corner of the net to secure the victory.
Virginia outshot Princeton, 28-15. Gersoff made 14 saves with Tiger players adding two more defensive saves. Redshirt freshman goalie Carrera Lucas (Brooklandville, Md.) played the second half and overtime in the cage for the Cavaliers, making two saves, to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The Cavaliers will be on the road again next weekend, playing at No. 12 Louisville on Friday, Sept. 11 and Miami (Oh.) on Sunday, Sept. 13, before returning home on Friday, Sept. 18 to host No. 5 Duke at 6 p.m. at Turf Field.
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Chris Graham
