The University of Virginia field hockey team has changed dramatically over the past two years, replacing its head coach and adding several dynamic first year players. Ole Keusgen, formerly the assistant coach, took over as head coach at the end of 2023, replacing Michele Madison who had been running the team for 17 seasons. During Madison’s time, the team reached the NCAA semifinals and won one ACC Championship.
Keusgen’s debut as head coach came at an unconventional point in the 2023 season, after Madison was abruptly placed on leave by the University. Despite the abrupt transition and only four new players added to their roster, UVA surged forward during the 2024-25 campaign. Although the Cavaliers did not make it far in the postseason, the path was set for a strong year ahead with nine new recruits for the 2025-26 season. The first-year class now makes up 40% of this year’s total roster.
It is clear that under Keusgen’s leadership, this UVA field hockey team is on a bright path to becoming a dominant force in the ACC. In fact, this year the Cavalier’s lineup includes US Senior National Team player Mia Abello, along with Mary Adams and Riley Savage, both members of the U21 National Team.
In such a fluctuating season, UVA started third in the NCAA, with a dominant 5-1 win over No. 18 Penn State. Throughout the year with fresh talent on offense, UVA was able to hold a win streak for nine games. During the nine-game win streak, goalie Nilou Lempers had a remarkable eight-game shutout. Her save percentage was 0.864, second best in the NCAA. Her massive contribution to UVA’s success also earned her the ACC’s Goalie of the Year Award. These shutout games were incredibly important as three of these games had scores of just 1-0.
However, in their tenth game, similar to last year, UVA lost to another powerful ACC team. Number one ranked powerhouse UNC took down UVA with their ruthless offense. Not only do they hold the top seed, UNC has also scored 79 goals, highest in the NCAA. Although the Cavaliers have a well working offense, they have not yet reached the same caliber as UNC, with only 44 total goals this season.
Throughout the season, UVA consistently played close games, being unable to dominate on offense. In the 13th game of the season, ranked second at the time, UVA was forced into a penalty shootout to secure the win against number six seed Syracuse, an outcome that shouldn’t have been necessary to win. The lack of goal completions by the offense could explain why despite playing at home, UVA lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to unranked Miami (OH). UVA made more shots on goal than Miami, but kept failing to score, inviting Miami to take over the game.
Unfortunately, the fiery team that began the season was absent for the NCAA tournament. But, with a team made up of mostly energetic first-years, advancing in the high pressure post-season is difficult. In response to the NCAA tournament loss, Coach Keusgen remains optimistic, saying, “Half of the team played their first NCAA tournament so we will learn from that, we will grow and we will be better next year.”
Mary Adams, a starting midfielder, also reflected on her first season. She noted that joining and working with such a big first-year class has given her opportunities that she does not think she “would have been able to have at another program.” Which she described as coming with both “a lot of pressure and a lot of privilege.” Adams also praised the strong defensive play, saying, “Since we had such a strong defensive unit we were sometimes able to get away with mistakes and ugly hockey on offense.” Adams added that offensively they got stronger later in the season, citing their high scoring 5-3 win against Wake Forest. When asked about the future, Adams was enthusiastic. “The sky is the limit for this group of players. I think also that losing in the way we did this season a lot of lessons have been learned and we will come back hungrier. And also having the standard set so high by the team and more specifically the seniors has allowed us to build off the foundation they have set and created at this program.”
It is important to remember it was the sheer talent from these first-years that allowed for a nine game win streak and an ACC Co-Championship title. In tight, low-scoring games, midfielders were able to hold up against explosive offenses from getting any points on the board. Fans should be excited to see what comes next from this top-ranked ACC team as they gain more experience and tighten up their offense for the next season.
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