May 28, 2007

Cavaliers Fall to Northwestern 15-13 in NCAA Championships Final

The Virginia women's lacrosse team scored 13 goals on Northwestern, more than twice their average goals allowed, and more than any other team has scored on the `Cats in 2007, but the Cavaliers still fell 15-13 in the NCAA Championship final. The two-goal deficit was also the closest any other team has come against the Wildcats in the final 21 games of the season. Virginia (19-4) had eight different players score goals, including Megan O'Malley, who had three goals; Megan Havrilla had two goals and added two assists to end up as the Cavaliers' top scorer. Kaitlin Duff had three caused turnovers to lead all players, and Brittany Kalkstein had five draw controls to lead UVa.

Virginia burst out of the gates, opening the scoring in the first minute as Duff collected a loose ball after NU won the opening draw, starting a possession that saw O'Malley cut down with a feed from Weymouth and score at 29:19. Again Northwestern won the draw, but McCulloch caused a turnover and Virginia set up its offense in which Kalkstein fed McCulloch from behind the cage, and the Hoos took a 2-0 lead at 28:29.

Northwestern went on a 7-0 run over the next 15 minutes, starting with a goal and an assist from Meredith Frank. Hilary Bowen added an assist and scored the final two goals in the run to stake the `Cats to a 7-2 lead with 17:03 to play in the first half.

A Wildcat turnover on the endline gave Jessy Morgan the ball, and the Cavaliers cleared the ball upfield where Virginia drew a 3-seconds call and Havrilla converted the 8-meter to pull within four. Aly Josephs drove to the cage and scored a minute later, but Claire Bordley won the draw and got the ball to O'Malley, who was fouled as she drove to the cage. The New Jersey native converted the eight-meter to keep Virginia within four 39 seconds after Josephs' goal. A Bowen goal three minutes later pushed the Northwestern lead back to five at 9-4.