June 22, 2006

The Virginia Cavaliers will face 10 teams that advanced to the 2005 NCAA Field Hockey Championships as part of the 2006 schedule, as announced by Virginia's head coach, Michele Madison. All four teams that competed in the NCAA semifinals in Louisville are on the Cavaliers' schedule, and six of the eight quarterfinal teams are also 2006 opponents. "It's a challenging schedule," said Madison, "but it's one to which I look forward and accept that challenge."

Virginia will open up with NCAA quarterfinalist American in a scrimmage in Charlottesville on August 19 before welcoming the Indiana Hoosiers in the home opener the following Saturday (Aug 26), one year after Indiana advanced to the quarterfinals in their first-ever berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Cavaliers will continue their seven-game homestand with five consecutive games to open up September, including welcoming home former UVa All-American Katie Jo Gerfen, now an assistant coach with Ohio, with a game on Sept. 1. A Sept. 3 date against NCAA semifinalist Old Dominion follows two days later, and three more games follow with VCU closing out the homestand on Sept. 15.

Two days later the Hoos travel to face the former NCAA champion UNC on Sept. 17 before returning home for a contest against in-state rival William & Mary on Sept. 20.

The Cavaliers travel north to Boston to take on Bay Area rivals Boston College (ACC, Sept. 22) and NCAA participant Boston University (Sept. 24). In-state rival Richmond welcomes Virginia on Sept. 27 before the Cavaliers host defending NCAA champion Maryland on Sept. 29.

The Tigers of the University of the Pacific open up Virginia's October schedule with a game on October 5, and six days later the Cavaliers travel over Afton Mountain to face the JMU Dukes on Oct. 11. The following week Virginia welcomes the Lancers of Longwood with a contest on Oct. 17.

Virginia hosts Family Weekend with a contest against Stanford on Oct. 20 and NCAA semifinalist Wake Forest on Oct. 22, which will be the final regular-season home game. The Cavaliers conclude the regular season with a game at Duke on Oct. 28.