Field hockey season comes to a close

VCU saved its best for last.

Freshman Heather McCannon’s (Lanexa/ Lafayette High School) goal with 8:55 left in the game lifted the Rams to a win over Hofstra in the final game of the season Sunday.

McCannon hit a long blast from the left side of the field past Pride goalie Jessica Cowperthwait – her team-leading fifth goal of the season – to give the Rams just their second win in the Colonial Athletic Association.

In her last game as a Ram, senior Amy Gallivan (Fredericksburg/ Stafford High School) tied the game at one early in the first half when she redirected Megan Sauder’s (Lititz, Pa.) pass into the goal.

She later assisted on Rebecca Bosler’s (Virginia Beach/ Princess Anne High School) goal, who tied the game again with two seconds left in the half.

The Rams dropped their game against Northeastern 3-1 Friday, and with the victory over Hofstra VCU finished 2-6 in the CAA and 6-11 overall.

On a cold night against the 13th-ranked Huskies, the Rams were not able to take advantage of some first-half opportunities.

“I would have liked us to finish opportunities we had up front,” head coach Shelly Behrens said.

The Rams quickly lost their spark after the Huskies took the lead 11 minutes into the match.

“The energy we started with was good,” senior captain Tara Worley (Suffolk/Lakeland High School) said. “If we had just kept our energy up we would have had a better chance.”

But the relentless Huskies attack and the cold weather helped cool down the Rams.

Nearly seven minutes after the first goal, the Huskies (6-1 CAA, 15-4) scored again to increase their lead. Michaela O’Malley, who scored the first goal, added another tally just before the half to make it 3-0.

The Rams looked as if they were poised to rally when freshman McCannon registered a goal less than three minutes into the second half.

Freshman goalkeeper Laura Baker (Kent, England) kept the Rams in the game by stifling the Huskies with six saves in the second half.

Nikki Lloyd (Kent, England) was able to make a couple key steals, and Jenna Harris (Aurora, Colo.) gave the Rams opportunities to try to even the game, but VCU could not convert.

“This was a tough loss,” junior co-captain Ashley Cadwallader (Fairfax/Fairfax High School) said.

With nine freshmen on the team, the Rams were the youngest in the conference. Now that the younger players have a year under their belts, expectations will be higher for the Rams next year.

But as a season ends so do some players’ tenure with their team.

Seniors Becca Leuzzi, Gallivan and Worley finished their college field hockey careers last weekend.

Behrens praised their effort during the past four seasons.

“I don’t believe I can say enough about them,” she said. “The three women’s contributions will long outlast the four years they’ve spent here.”

Worley said her experience as a field hockey player has been “great that’s for sure. It’s something I wouldn’t trade for anything. The things I’ve learned from the people and the team I will take with me for life.”