The UVA field hockey team announced its 2014 schedule, with the Cavaliers slated to play 11 of their 19 regular-season games, as well as a preseason scrimmage, at University Hall Turf Field. Admission will be free for all home scrimmages and regular-season field hockey games during the season.
The Cavaliers, who ranked as high as No. 4 in the NFHCA Coaches’ Poll last season and made their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Michele Madison, will play a formidable schedule, facing 11 teams that participated in the 2013 NCAA Field Hockey Championships and 12 teams that were ranked in the top-20 in at least one NFHCA poll a year ago.
“It is an extremely challenging schedule,” Madison said. “We always try to play hard schedules because in order to be the best, you have to play the best. The team also needs to be challenged in order to find out who we are and who we are going to be. We are going to have opportunities right out of the gate to do that. This year, we have 16 first and second year players on the roster, so anything is possible. Our fourth-years will need to provide lot of enthusiasm, teaching and strong leadership to get us through this schedule.”
Virginia will prepare for the regular-season slate by taking on American, a team that was ranked in the top-20 last season and earned a spot in the 19-team NCAA Tournament field, in a scrimmage during preseason training camp on Thursday, August 21 at noon.
The Cavaliers officially open their schedule with three-straight road games, including the season-opener at William & Mary (Aug. 29) followed by road games at Penn State (Aug. 31) and Iowa (Sept. 4).
The home slate begins on Sunday, Sept. 7 when the Cavaliers host Princeton, the 2012 NCAA champion. NCAA Tournament participant Miami (Ohio) will play at Turf Field in a mid-week game on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. before Virginia closes the homestand against Louisville in the Cavaliers’ ACC opener on Friday, Sept. 12.
“Iowa is a very strong, skilled and disciplined team, so it is going to be interesting playing them after Penn State, whose players really run at you at full speed, so it is two extremely different opponents,” Madison said. “After Iowa, we play Princeton, which brings the speed component back. The first six games will definitely tell us a lot about the character of this year’s team.”
Virginia has another three-game homestand beginning with a Sunday, Sept. 21 contest against Albany, a top-20 team last season, followed by Syracuse, the No. 2 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament (Sept. 26), and Vermont (Sept. 28).
Ohio State returns to Turf Field for the first time since 2010 on Sunday, Oct. 5. Virginia will also host Wake Forest (Oct. 12) and Liberty (Oct. 17) before closing out the home slate on Sunday, Oct. 19 with a 1 p.m. game against Old Dominion.
The Cavaliers will face ACC opponents Duke (Sept. 19) and North Carolina (Oct. 3) on the road in addition to playing a non-conference game at Richmond on Friday, Oct. 10.
UVa will take a road trip to Massachusetts with games at Boston College (Oct. 24) and Boston University (Oct. 26) flanking the final weekend of the regular season.
“We play Old Dominion toward the end of the season this year instead of playing them early, which gives us more preparation time for a team of that caliber,” Madison said. “Closing out at Boston College and Boston U. gives us two top opponents right before the ACC Tournament, which is great preparation. Boston U. is opening up a new multi-million dollar facility this season, so we are excited to see their new field.”
The ACC Tournament will be held Nov. 6-9 in Durham, N.C. The NCAA Tournament begins on Nov. 15 with the first-and-second-round games being played at host sites. This year’s NCAA Semifinals and Championship games will be played in College Park, Md.
Date Opponent Time
Thursday, Aug 21 AMERICAN (exhibition) 12 pm
Friday, Au. 29 @ William & Mary 4:30 pm
Sunday, Aug 31 @ Penn State 12 pm
Thursday, Sept 4 @ Iowa 4 pm
Sunday, Sept 7 PRINCETON 1 pm
Tuesday, Sept 9 MIAMI (OHIO) 1 pm
Friday, Sept 12 LOUISVILLE 6 pm
Sunday, Sept 14 RUTGERS 12 pm
Friday, Sept. 19 @ Duke 6 pm
Sunday, Sept 21 ALBANY 1 pm
Friday, Sept. 26 SYRACUSE 6 pm
Sunday, Sept 28 VERMONT 1 pm
Friday, Oct. 3 @ North Carolina 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 5 OHIO STATE 1 pm
Friday, Oct. 10 @ Richmond 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 12 WAKE FOREST 1 pm
Friday, Oct. 17 LIBERTY 6 pm
Sunday, Oct. 19 OLD DOMINION 1 pm
Friday, Oct. 24 @ Boston College 6 pm
Sunday, Oct.26 @ Boston University 12 pm
November 6-9 ACC Tournament @ Duke
November 12 NCAA Tournament Play-in Games
November 15-16 First/second round NCAA (site TBA)
November 21 & 23 Final Four @ Maryland
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