THE SPORTS DESK
CAC Field Hockey Championship: Pressured, Eagles refuse to wilt
AFTER WESLEY TIES UP CAC FINAL,
UMW REBOUNDS TO CLAIM CROWN,
AWAIT SPOT IN NCAA PAIRINGS
BY STEVE DeSHAZO
When visiting Wesley pulled even with 14:25 left in Saturday’s Capital Athletic Conference field hockey final, one thought crept into Mary Washington’s players’ minds.
“Obviously, panic,” senior Lisa Charney said, only half-joking.
“I was a little panicked,” junior Caitlin Baker echoed.
But the Eagles didn’t get to be 18–1 and ranked fifth in the nation by wilting under pressure. Charney’s blast from the top of the circle put UMW back on top, and the Eagles got another goal in the game’s final minute for a 4–2 victory.
The CAC title was UMW’s second in the past three years (after a 16-year drought) and put the Eagles in position to host an NCAA Division III tournament game next weekend. Pairings will be announced late tonight.
Second-year UMW coach Lindsey Elliott won four CAC championships as a player at Salisbury, but this was her first from the sideline.
“It’s definitely a different kind of satisfaction,” she said. “Now, this is my career, and for the first time, it’s out of my hands. Once the players step on the field, I just hope I’ve taught them enough.”
The Eagles apparently have learned well, outscoring their foes 78–21. Their only loss came in double overtime four weeks ago against eighth-ranked Christopher Newport, and they’re enjoying the program’s best season since the 1993 team went 22–2 and reached the national championship game.
Their momentum would have suffered a hit, though, had they stumbled Saturday against a Wesley team they had dominated, 4–1, just two weeks earlier.
UMW fell behind 1–0 just 5 minutes into Saturday’s final, but tied it with 12:46 left in the first half on Charney’s penalty stroke.
Baker gave the Eagles a 2–1 lead 8 minutes into the second half with a drive from the top of the circle off a corner. But Madison Leone ripped a laser past UMW goalie Claire Gianelle off a corner 12 minutes later to tie it for Wesley (12–9).
That’s when the Eagles started channeling their panic (or urgency) into performance. Charney scored her second goal with 9:03 left, and Amy Abernathy netted an insurance score with 40 seconds remaining.
“The postseason is the most stressful time of the season,” Charney said. “You’re afraid you’re going to lose and spoil what you’ve worked for. But our team has been confident all season. I knew we could pull it out.”
Saturday’s final may have marked something of a tipping point for CAC field hockey. Salisbury had won 17 of the previous 18 tournament titles. But UMW beat the Sea Gulls when they were ranked No. 1 during the regular season, and Wesley upset Salisbury in the CAC semifinals.
The Sea Gulls are likely to receive an NCAA at-large bid and will be seeking their fifth national title under veteran coach Dawn Chamberlin. But Wesley coach Tracey Short (who also played at Salisbury) expects the conference to become even more competitive.
“[Leonard’s] just got a good program here,” Short said, “and you draw good kids when you have a good program. It definitely makes it interesting with Christopher Newport joining the league next year. If you’re going to compete, you’re going to have to recruit, because it’s going to get stronger and stronger.”
As a senior, Charney isn’t worried about next year. Her focus is winning four more games and earning the program’s first national title.
“People need to realize that we are a team to beat.” she said. “We beat the top-ranked team, and we just won the CAC. We’re a team people need to be afraid of.”
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
