Field hockey: No. 11 UVA wins 2-1 over Liberty

The No. 11 UVA field hockey team (3-3, 0-1 ACC) earned a 2-1 victory over Liberty (0-4, 0-0 Big East) on Monday (Sept. 12) at University Hall Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va.

Junior Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and senior Caleigh Foust (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) each scored in the first half, giving UVA a 2-0 lead at the break. Liberty’s Serena Barr scored off a penalty corner 23 minutes into the second half to cut the UVA lead to one, but the Flames took just one shot in the final 10 minutes of the game as the Cavaliers held on for the victory.

“Our team came out today and played a great game,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “They were firing on all cylinders, which they needed to do to beat a team as talented as Liberty. Our press came together really well today, taking away good options from Liberty and forcing them into making some mistakes.”

Vittese scored the first goal of the game shortly after a Virginia penalty corner. After a couple of passes around the circle, freshman Erin Shanahan (Pasadena, Md.) slid the ball to Vittese who hit a clean shot into the net to give UVA a 1-0 lead 17:16 into the first half. Nine minutes later, Foust scored after another UVA penalty corner in which Vittese took the initial shot from the top of the circle. Liberty’s Allison Schaefer stopped Vittese’s shot, but Foust picked up the rebound off her pads and scored.

Liberty scored its lone goal off a penalty corner, with Barr smashing in a shot from the top of the circle after an injection from Summer Parker and a stick stop by her twin sister, Bethany Barr.

Schaefer made nine saves. Virginia sophomore goalkeeper Carrera Lucas (Brooklandville, Md.) had four saves.

UVA dominated the first half, outshooting Liberty 17-5, but held just a 9-8 advantage in the second half. Liberty had eight penalty corners, including six in the second half, scoring on one. Virginia had five penalty corners with two resulting in goals.

Virginia’s homestand continues this weekend as they take on No. 16 Princeton on Friday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. and No. 4 UConn on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all regular-season Virginia field hockey games.