The No. 8 UVA women’s lacrosse team (3-4, 0-2 ACC) fell in overtime, 13-12, to No. 16 Loyola (2-4, 0-0 PL) on Wednesday (March 11) in the team’s first game this season at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
With the game tied in the final minute of regulation, senior Courtney Swan (Vero Beach, Fla.) scored on a feed from senior Casy Bocklet (South Salem, N.Y.) to give UVa a 10-9 lead with 56 seconds remaining. Loyola retied the game with 13 seconds left on the clock. Senior Kelsey Gahan (Cockeysville, Md.) battled to win the ensuing draw control, getting the ball up to senior Daniela Eppler who was fouled while taking a shot with two seconds left in the game. Eppler set up for her eight-meter attempt and scored, but after a lengthy conference, the referees determined the goal was not scored before the horn sounded and waived off the goal, sending the game into overtime.
Loyola’s Hannah Schmitt had a hat trick in overtime, giving the Greyhounds a 13-10 lead. Virginia again rallied late with Swan winning a draw and scoring with 24 seconds remaining to pull within two. Swan won the next draw as well, with Eppler again getting fouled and being awarded a free position shot. Eppler scored to make it a one-point game, 13-12, with 12 seconds remaining. Loyola won the ensuing draw control, maintaining possession in the waning seconds to secure the victory.
“It was a crazy game and just a heartbreaking loss to think that we had won it in regulation on the buzzer but then have the goal not count,” said Virginia head coach Julie Myers. “We should have been able to shift gears and win the game in overtime. Loyola’s opening goal in the overtime knocked the wind out of our sails a bit and we let them jump on us more than they should have. All in all, our fight is good, but our execution is lacking. It is something we will be focusing on in practice and we will find our way together.”
Swan scored three goals and also had three assists, winning five draw controls. Redshirt senior Liza Blue (Butler, Md.) also had a hat trick and won four draws.
Schmitt led the Greyhounds with four goals and an assist. Kara Burke scored three goals with three assists.
Freshman Rachel Vander Kolk (Severna Park, Md.) had four saves, all in the first half. Molly Wolf made seven stops for Loyola.
Virginia held a 28-21 edge in shots and led 18-12 in draw controls.
The game was tied up six times, including being knotted 5-5 at halftime. The largest lead of the game for either team was Loyola’s 13-10 advantage in overtime.
This was the third overtime game of the year for the Greyhounds and their second win in OT. It was the first overtime contest for the Cavaliers since an 11-8 loss at Northwestern on April 30, 2010.
Up next, Virginia hosts No. 10 Princeton on Saturday, March 14 at 4 p.m.
Single-game reserved seats are available for all women’s home games for $7. Single-game general admission adult tickets for women’s home games are $5, while youth (18 and under), seniors (60 and over), and UVa faculty and staff tickets are $4 each.
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