CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — No. 7 Virginia outscored the Canisius women’s lacrosse program 12-4 in the second half, as the Cavaliers defeated the Golden Griffins, 18-8 Wednesday evening in Charlottesville, Va. The loss snaps the Blue and Gold’s three game win streak, as the team dropped to 4-5, while the Cavaliers improved to 8-2.
Canisius got off to a fast start in the game, rebounding from a 1-0 Virginia lead by scoring four-straight goals, making it 4-1 with 22 minutes remaining in the opening frame.
The Cavaliers slowly started to gain the momentum throughout the first half however, going on a 5-0 run and taking a 6-4 lead into the halftime break.
Canisius scored the opening goal of the second half, as freshman Marissa Malvaso tallied her seventh of the season to close the UVA advantage to 6-5. However, the one-goal deficit was as close as the Griffs would get to the Cavaliers, as Virginia tallied 12 goals after intermission to secure the victory.
Senior Jen Reininger led way offensively for Canisius, as she tallied four points including three goals and an assist. She also led the team with nine draw controls. Junior Jourdan Roemer added a pair of goals and an assist to the losing cause, while fellow junior Kayla O’Connell paced the Griffs with a career-high six ground balls.
A pair of Cavaliers led the way for Virginia, as Avery Shoemaker tallied three goals and one assist and Sammy Mueller notched a pair of goals and to go with two assists.
Senior Rebecca VanLaeken tallied double-digit saves for the seventh time this season after she made 16 stops in the loss. Junior Ellen Newton also saw game action as she recorded two saves.
Rachel Vander Kolk got the start for the Cavaliers and improved to 8-2 on the season. The Cavaliers net minder made 7 saves in 41:01 minutes of work while Charlie Campbell and Ashley Morris also saw time in the cage.
Virginia controlled the pace of play, outshooting the Griffs 43-16, however the Blue and Gold managed to make major strides in an area it has struggled with at times this season, as the team bested UVA in draw controls, 14-13.
COACH DALEY POSTGAME COMMENTS
“I am extremely proud of our team. I couldn’t have asked for better effort from them. We played tough against a very good Virginia team. We found success in the draw circle today, where we have been inconsistent at this season. I thought Rachel Ryan was tremendous in that battle and our ladies on the circle competed hard. We saw some great things out of our team and we had some learning opportunities. Every player on the team helped us prepare for this game and this game will prepare us for what is to come.”
GAME NOTES
• Virginia won the first ever meeting between the two squads.
• The Blue and Gold are now 0-21 all-time against ACC teams.
• Both Roemer and Reininger extended their point-streaks to 38 and 29 games, respectively.
• Reininger’s nine draw controls matched a career high, previously set March 5 when Canisius played at Binghamton.
UP NEXT
Canisius returns to MAAC action on Friday, March 30, when the Griffs travel to play at Iona in New Rochelle, N.Y. Game time is set for 1 p.m.