CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 21 Old Dominion field hockey team improved to 6-0 on the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime victory at No. 8 Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville.
Old Dominion (6-0) overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with goals from Merle Knobloch and Rebecca Birch, who scored the game-winner in overtime. It marked ODU's first win over a top-10 opponent since 2015.
"I am really proud of our team and how they played for each other," said head coach Andrew Griffiths. "This was a true team win."
On a rainy day in Charlottesville, Virginia (3-2) used a penalty-corner goal in the final minute of the first half to take a lead into halftime.
The Monarchs then turned up the tempo after the break, outshooting the Cavaliers, 12-2, in the second half.
However, it wasn't until the 64th minute when ODU finally pulled even. Knobloch, a freshman from Germany, beat a pair of UVA defenders on the endline before firing a shot near-post to tie the game.
In overtime, Birch then used a quick restart and a slick cutback to get an open shot from the top of the arc, which she buried past the Cavalier goalkeeper.
Overall, ODU outshot Virginia, 19-13, and also held a 5-4 advantage in corners.
"I credit a lot of this performance to the players on the bench," said Griffiths. "They all brought purpose and focus to the field in support and performed very well when they played."
Cam MacGillivray earned the win in goal for ODU, playing the full 74+ minutes and making seven saves.
The Monarchs are now 3-0 against ranked opponents this season, while five of their six wins have come on the road.
"Resilience," said Griffiths. "It's one of the best qualities a team can have."
Up next, the Monarchs host Providence next Friday at 1 p.m. ET for the Big East opener.
FOLLOW ODU FIELD HOCKEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow @ODUFieldHockey on Twitter and like ODU Field Hockey on Facebook for the latest updates.