To claim that the Cavaliers have won the game in the series against Orange on the field is an overstatement. Virginia has taken on Syracuse with an 11-3 advantage over the past three seasons and an eight-game winning streak going into the current season.
The matchup on Friday was not different.
With a pair of goals by Senior Cato Geusgens, Cato Geusgens scored two goals. 10, Virginia field hockey hammered No. 11 Syracuse 3-1 in the afternoon of Friday at UVA Turf Field in Charlottesville.
UVA won the game from beginning to end and the match began with the Cavaliers dominating the battle for possession in midfield. Virginia was always able to get the ball on Syracuse’s side of the field, and put continuous pressure on Syracuse’s Orange defense. The shots were 26-8 in favor against Virginia’s Cavaliers and 15 shots by UVA were in goal.
Syracuse goalkeeper Brooke Borzymowski delivered an incredible performance, securing 12 saves in keeping the Orange up to a point throughout the 4th quarter. Her UVA counterpart, Jet Trimborn, saved all four shots she faced to record her first shutout in her career and Virginia’s second shutout of the year.
UVA scored 14 penalty corner chances as in comparison to just the six of Syracuse as well. The Hoos were able to take advantage of this since two of their goals were scored off corners. With only a few seconds remaining in the first half Dani Mendez-Trendler made the penalty corner pass onto Annie McDonough, who set the ball up for an Cato Geusgens strike that made it’s path into Cuse’s defense. Cuse defensive line and into left-hand edge of the cage, breaking the deadlock.
In the midst of Borzymowski’s impressive play in the cages, the Orange kept the score at one goal all the way until the final quarter. Borzymowski took on 17 shots during the initial half and 10 in the first quarter, but he was able to concede only one goal.
In less than seven minutes be played, the game was one-to-one before Laura Janssen deflected in a passing pass by Adele Iacobucci to double the lead. It was Janssen’s team’s leading seventh goal for the season.
After four minutes four minutes later, the Cavaliers hit again when Cato Geusgens scored from a penalty corner. The second one was much simpler than the firstone, because the Orange goalkeeper had been pulled, and Geusgens shot on an empty net from that penalty corner.