University of Richmond
#2 Virginia
Spiders Season Comes To An End With Loss To UVa in NCAA Tourney
11/16/2009 | Field Hockey
Nov. 14, 2009
Nov. 14, 2009
CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. - The Richmond field hockey team played No. 2 ranked Virginia to a scoreless tie after one half, but the Cavaliers scored three second-half goals in a 14 minute span to take a 3-0 win Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.
Behind the stellar goalkeeping of senior Jacki Raithel (6 saves), the Spiders kept Virginia from scoring in the opening period, but the high-powered Virginia attack could only be kept off the scoreboard for so long.
Virginia's Tara Puffenberger put the Cavaliers on the board just 3:09 into the second half.
Less than 10 minutes later Inga Stockel sent a hard pass in from the right corner and Traci Ragukas was able to one-time it into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.
Virginia's third goal was even more impressive as Stockel sent a hard blast in from near midfield and Laura Elstein deflected it just inside the left post.
Richmond finished the season with a 14-9 record after winning the Atlantic 10 regular season title and the Atlantic 10 Tournament title, both for the sixth time in the last eight years.
Richmond won a NCAA play-in game on Tuesday in Ohio, 2-1 over the Bobcats, which put them in the NCAA Tournament matched with the No. 2 seed Cavaliers.
Virginia had escaped with a 4-3 win over Richmond on Sept. 30 at Crenshaw Field, but Richmond was unable to score on the Cavaliers Saturday.
The game marked the end of the careers for six Spider seniors. Jacki Raithel, Megan Thompson, Jess Weidner and Becky White.
Blythe-Wood finished her career tied for fifth on Richmond's career list for points (89), tied for sixth on the career list for goals (35) and 10th on the career list for assists (19). As a senior this fall, Blythe-Wood performance put her third on the school's single-season list for points (53), fourth for single-season goals (21) and tied for ninth for single-season assists (11).
