CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 19th-ranked Old Dominion field hockey team took down No. 6 Virginia by a score of 1-0 in non-conference action on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Monarchs improve to 9-6 on the year, while Virginia falls to 12-5 overall.
After UVA was called for a foul within the circle, ODU was awarded a penalty corner at the 68:27 mark. Sophomore Megan Byas (Driffield, England) took the initial shot at the top of the circle that was set up by senior forward Rosario Villagra (Salta, Argentina), but a UVA defender blocked it.
Byas continued to attack as she gathered her own rebound and sent the ball into the back of the cage to give the Lady Monarchs the 1-0 lead. For the season, Byas has notched three goals.
The ODU defense held strong in the final minutes of play, holding the Cavaliers to no shots as the match ended in favor of ODU. This marks the first time this season that the Lady Monarchs have won two-consecutive games over ranked opponents.
Junior Megan Hept (Chesapeake, Va.) played the entirety in goal for the Lady Monarchs and stopped two of the Cavaliers shots. She has recorded her eighth win in goal, 48 saves and four shutouts on the year. Jenny Johnstone suffered the loss for Virginia, finishing the game with seven saves.
Old Dominion outshot the Cavaliers, 14-8, and held a 5-2 advantage in penalty corners. Throughout the game, the Lady Monarchs' defense held the Cavaliers leading scorer, Tara Vittese (15g, 16a, 46pts.) to just one shot and no shots on goal. They also did not allow a UVA penalty corner in the second half.
The Lady Monarchs will be back in action when they travel to Providence on Friday, Oct. 24 for a 3:00 p.m. BIG EAST matchup.
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