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Virginia advances to NCAA quarterfinals with 2-1 win against Michigan

Posted on by Pranco
Virginia advances to NCAA quarterfinals with 2-1 win against Michigan

EVANSVILLE, Ill. – The Virginia hockey team (14-4) opened the 2024 NCAA Field Hockey Championship with a 2-1 victory against Michigan (15-5) on Friday (Nov. 15) at Lakeside Field in Evansville, Illinois.

Virginia took a 1–0 lead in the first half and added a second goal early in the fourth quarter to take a 2–0 lead. Michigan scored with less than two minutes left to make it 2-1. Michigan had a chance to tie the score with a penalty corner with 18 seconds left in the game, but the Cavalier defense held on for the win.

Virginia advances to the NCAA quarterfinals, where it will face regional host No. 2 Northwestern (20-1) on Sunday (Nov. 17) at 2 p.m. ET.

Goals (Assist)
19:41 Virginia – Suze Leemans (Jans Croon)
50:11 Virginia — Daniela Mendez-Trender (Caroline Nemec)
58:27 Northwestern – Kate McLaughlin (Esmee de Willigen)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Graduate Suze Leemans put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard, deflecting a shot from senior Jans Croon from a penalty corner with 10:29 left in the second quarter. Virginia went into halftime with a 1-0 lead and defeated Michigan 7-1.

Junior Daniela Mendez-Trendler doubled the Cavaliers’ advantage by taking a pass from junior Caroline Nemec and firing a shot past the goalkeeper into the backboard with 9:42 left in the game.

The Wolverines turned up the pressure by drawing four penalty corners in the remaining time and scoring their third with 1:33 remaining. Michigan’s fourth corner was awarded with 18 seconds remaining in the game, but the attempt was blocked and the Cavaliers held on for the win.

NOTES

  • Michigan took nine of 11 shots in the fourth quarter and had six of eight corners in the period
  • Virginia made seven of eight shots in the first half. UVA’s only shot in the second half was Daniela Mendez-Trendler’s goal
  • Northwestern pulled its goalie with 3:18 left in the game
  • Nilou Lempers made three saves. Hala Silverstein made four saves for Michigan
  • Senior Noa Boterman made a defensive save in the second quarter
  • Daniela Mendez-Trendler scored her seventh goal of the season
  • Suze Leemans’ goal was her sixth of the season and her first since September 22
  • Northwestern defeated Miami University 9-2 in the first game of the day
  • This is Virginia’s 15e time advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals
  • Virginia is trying to advance to the NCAA Semifinals for the seventh time in program history

FROM HEAD COACH OLE CHOICESGEN

“We played a very good first half. Lots of chances created, circle entries and shots. But in the second half we created too few attacking situations. We prepared well, in terms of corners, and that made a big difference. Having that zero lead after our first corners meant a lot to us. Defensively it’s never really a problem. We stood strong. We held up very well in our defensive 25, but in the end we didn’t have enough possession. We didn’t have enough possession against and under pressure, so we have to look at that and do better in the future.”

ON THE HORIZON

  • The winner of the Virginia/Northwestern match will advance to the NCAA semifinals to be held on November 22 at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan.