Field Hockey: Hoos hold off Wolverines, 2-1, to kick off NCAA Tournament play

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia field hockey team opened up the 2024 NCAA Championship with a 2-1 victory against Michigan on Friday at Lakeside Field in Evansville, Ill.

Virginia (14-4) 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 remaining in the game to make it 2-1. Michigan had a chance to tie it with a penalty corner with 18 seconds remaining in the game, but the Cavalier defense held on for the victory.

Virginia advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where it will face the regional’s host, No. 2 Northwestern (20-1), on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. See the full tournament bracket here.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Grad student Suze Leemans put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard, deflecting in a shot from senior Jans Croon on a penalty corner with 10:29 remaining in the second quarter. Virginia went into the halftime break with the 1-0 lead, outshooting Michigan, 7-1.

Junior Daniela Mendez-Trendler doubled the Cavaliers’ advantage, taking a pass from junior Caroline Nemec and backhanding a shot clean past the goalie and into the board with 9:42 remaining in the game.

The Wolverines (15-5) increased pressure, drawing four penalty corners in the remaining time, scoring off 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.

GOALS
UVA: 19:41 – Suze Leemans (Jans Croon)
UVA: 50:11 — Daniela Mendez-Trender (Caroline Nemec)
UofM: 58:27 – Kate McLaughlin (Esmee de Willigen)

Dani Mendez-Trendler talks about today’s 2-1 win against Michigan #NCAAFH #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/szoaedU2Hm

— Virginia Field Hockey (@UVAFieldHockey) November 15, 2024

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Michigan took nine of its 11 shots in the fourth quarter and had six of its eight corners in the period
• Virginia took seven of its eight shots in the first half. UVA’s only shot in the second half was Daniela Mendez-Trendler’s goal
• Michigan pulled its goalie with 3:18 remaining 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 team-leading seventh goal of the season
• Suze Leemans goal was her sixth of the season and her first since Sept. 22
• Northwestern defeated Miami University 9-2 in the first game of the day
• This is Virginia’s 15th 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 KEUSGEN

“We played a very good first half. Created a lot of opportunities, circle entries and shots. But in the second half, we didn’t create enough attacking situations. We prepared very well, corner wise, and that made a big difference. Having that one-nothing lead after our first corners, that meant a lot to us. Defensively, it’s never really a concern. We stood strong. We held strong very well in our defensive 25, but in the end, we didn’t have enough possessions. We didn’t hold enough possession against and under pressure, so we need to look into that and do better moving forward.”

UP NEXT

The winner of the Virginia/Northwestern game will advance to the NCAA Semifinals, being held Nov. 22 at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Mich.