Field Hockey Falls Sunday Afternoon at No. 3 Virginia

Sunday, October 8

Charlottesville, Va.

1 p.m.

Drexel University

(5-9)

No. 3 Virginia

(11-2)

DREXEL

Virginia

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Field Hockey Falls Sunday Afternoon at No. 3 Virginia

10/8/2017 3:33:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Drexel field hockey team fell Sunday afternoon at No. 3 Virginia in Charlottesville, 8-0. The Dragons drop to 5-9 (0-2 CAA), while the Cavaliers improve to 11-2 (3-1 ACC).

Virginia entered the weekend as the top-ranked offense in the country in goals per game, and are led by Tara Vittese and Pien Dicke, the two top individuals scorers in the nation. The Cavaliers came into Sunday's matchup with a chip on their shoulder after getting shut out on Friday night by conference rival No. 6 North Carolina. Virginia's offense surged for seven first-half goals to take control of the contest early. Despite allowing eight goals, Drexel goalkeeper Erin Gilchrist tied her career high with 14 saves in the game, a total she has now reach three times in her career.

The Cavaliers got on the board at 7:05 when Dicke deflected Dominique van Slooten's shot on the penalty corner. Sixty-five seconds later, Colleen Norair knocked home the rebound after Gilchrist made one of her 14 saves. Just over five minutes later, it was Dicke again, as she blasted one to the back of the cage off the pass from Vittese. Sixty-six seconds later is was Dicke again off a steal and breakaway to give her a hat trick on the game and 18 goals on the year. With a four-goal lead at the mid-point of the first half, the Cavaliers were not done. Erin Shanahan put home the penalty corner shot from the point in the 19th minute with assists coming from Norair and Nadine de Koning before Izzy McDonough took the feed from Anzel Viljoen for the high shot and goal in the 21st minute. Catesby Willis' unassisted tally in the 25th minute sent the Cavaliers to the locker room with a 7-0 advantage.

The Dragons came out of the locker room and got the first scoring chance of the half. Reilly Finegan sent in the penalty corner ball, leading to Sydney Muntone's shot that was stopped by Virginia's second-half goalkeeper Lauren Hausher. Virginia went right back to work on the offensive end, challenging the Drexel defense and eventually breaking through on Viljoen's penalty corner shot from the point with assists going to de Koning and Vittese to make it 8-0. The Dragons would manage one more shot, which went wide off the stick of Delaney Baxendale.

Virginia outshot the Dragons 29-2, including 22-1 on goal. Gilchrist made 14 saves for the Dragons, Hausher made one for Virginia and Carrera Lucas got the win for the Cavaliers with a scoreless first half in goal. Virginia had 13 penalty corners to Drexel's two.

The Dragons return to action next Sunday when they head to No. 9 Syracuse.