Philadelphia, Pa. -- With the Virginia women's lacrosse team facing a 13-4 deficit with 20 minutes to play, the Cavaliers called timeout-and proceeded to set an NCAA record for the largest comeback in NCAA Championships history, scoring the final ten goals of the game to defeat Duke 14-13. Jess Wasilewski, a Philadelphia native, scored her third goal of the game with nine seconds to play to cap the 10-0 run and send the No. 3 Cavaliers (19-3) to the finals, where they will face two-time reigning champion Northwestern. In the 10-0 run, Philadelphia native Megan Havrilla had three goals and 2006 National Rookie of the Year Blair Weymouth added a hat trick; Ashley McCulloch had one goal and three assists.

Duke scored 25 seconds into the game as Kristen Waagbo scored on a hidden-ball trick, putting the Blue Devils up 1-0. Kaitlin Duff caused a turnover on the sidelines and after three saves by Kim Imbesi, Virginia got on the board as Wasilewski scored a quick stick from Kate Breslin to tie the game. Duke won the draw and scored 28 seconds later to retake the lead. A Michelle Menser goal four minutes later gave Duke a 3-1 lead.

Brittany Kalkstein won the draw and Virginia settled the ball and got off a shot that was saved, but Kalkstein was there to corral the loose ball and worked the ball over to Megan O'Malley, who drove in from the top and scored at 19:12. The Blue Devils then scored the next five goals, including two from Caroline Cryer and two from Waagbo, to open up an 8-2 lead. Weymouth won the ensuing draw and the Hoos worked the ball behind to McCulloch, who notched the first of her four assists as Breslin quicksticked the ball into the net 24 seconds after Cryer's goal to pull UVa to within five at 8-3. The teams took that score into the break.

Claire Bordley started it off for the Cavaliers in the second half as she intercepted a pass at the restraining line and started a clear that saw Weymouth take from the top to pull UVa within four.

Duke then scored the next five goals, starting with a pair from Rachel Sanford, to open up a 13-4 lead with 20:46 to play. The Cavaliers called a timeout. The Blue Devils won the draw, but an overthrow was controlled by the Cavaliers on the boundary ball. Virginia settled the ball and drew a 3-seconds call. Weymouth converted the shot for a 13-5 score.

McCulloch won the draw and the Cavaliers set up their offense that was disrupted with a dropped ball in the arc; Duke in turn dropped the ball and McCulloch pounced on it, sticking it in the cage for Virginia's second goal in under a minute. She won the next draw as well and led Havrilla with a pass, who was all alone at the top of the critical scoring area. Havrilla raced in uncontested and scored eight seconds after McCulloch for a 13-7 score. Duke won the draw but on an attempt to settle their offense, McCulloch stepped in front of a pass and intercepted the ball on the run, taking it all the way to the cage before dishing it to Breslin, who faked out the goalie twice and scored for a fourth consecutive goal-all in the span of two minutes. Duke took a timeout.

The Blue Devils won the draw, but another Duke missed catch led to a ground ball by Bordley, who fed the ball up to Weymouth at the midfield stripe. Weymouth raced in the 50 yards and scoring one minute after Breslin at 14:12 for a 13-9 score. Wasilewski picked up an overthrow at the restraining line and again it was Weymouth driving in unassisted for a goal at 10:33, the Cavaliers' sixth consecutive goal.

Weymouth won the draw and the Hoos quickly brought the ball behind where she dumped the ball to Wasilewski, who scored on a quickstick less than a minute after Weymouth to move UVa into double digits at 13-10. Kalkstein won the draw, her fourth of the game, and Havrilla took from the top, scoring 39 seconds after Wasilewski for a 13-11 score. A save by McBrearty was collected by Bordley, and the Cavaliers cleared the ball where Havrilla again took from the top, scoring at 4:48 to tie the game, Virginia's ninth consecutive goal. Duke called their final timeout.

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2007-05-26