The No. 6 UVA field hockey team (4-1, 0-0 ACC) suffered its first loss of the season on Friday night (Sept. 13), falling 3-2 in a shootout at No. 4 Maryland (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten).
Virginia twice held a lead in the game, going up 1-0 and then 2-1, but both times Maryland came back to tie the game, including scoring the final goal of the contest 3:34 into the fourth quarter. After two scoreless overtimes, the game went to a shootout that was tied 3-3 after the initial five attempts by each team. Maryland’s Bibi Donraadt made Maryland’s six attempt, but Virginia missed its ensuing shot, sealing the victory for the Terrapins.
“It was a hard-fought battle between two really good teams,” UVA coach Michele Madison said. “Both put out a really strong performance today. If it comes down to shootouts, it is anyone’s game, especially in sudden-death. We did a lot of things well today. They were able to find each other, the presses were working and they just stayed in it and stayed together. It was a one-hundred percent team effort. That is what worked.”
After a scoreless first half, sophomore back Amber Ezechiels (Niew Vennep, Netherlands) put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard, scoring a second-chance goal. Ezechiels picked up a rebound off of the keeper’s pads after she made a save on a previous shot by Ezechiels. Maryland answered with a goal six minutes later to tie it 1-1. Junior midfielder Rachel Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.) put the Cavaliers up 2-1 with 2:35 remaining in the third period, scoring on a penalty corner. Maryland tied the game 3:34 into the fourth period.
In the first overtime period, both teams had prime opportunities to score. Maryland had two penalty corners, but the Cavaliers defended both. Senior striker Erin Shanahan (Pasadena, Md.) had a breakaway one-on-one against the goalie midway through the period, but sailed the shot just wide of the net. Freshman midfielder Adele Iacobucci (Malvern, Pa.) made a defensive save on a Maryland shot in the final minute to send the game into a second overtime.
In the second bonus period, Hausheer came out of the goal to challenge a Maryland player, but ended up fouling her, with Maryland being awarded a penalty stroke. Hausheer saved the stroke, keeping the game alive. Neither team could find the net in the remainder of the period, setting up a shootout.
Shanahan took the first attempt for UVA in the shootout and seemed to have her shot stopped, but she was actually fouled by the goalie and was given as second attempt, which she made to give UVA an early edge. Freshman Laura Janssen (Nijmegen, Netherlands) and senior back Anzel Viljoen (Matamata, New Zealand) also made their attempts, but the shootout was tied 3-3 through the initial five attempts. Maryland shot first in sudden death, with an attempt for Bibi Donraadt initially called good, then was waved off and then was called good again after video review to give the Terps the advantage. Shanahan took the ensuing shot for the Cavaliers, but it was saved, giving Maryland the shootout victory.
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Chris Graham
