Cavalier Corner

October 2013

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Calming Force Transfer Jeff Gal Has Stepped In At Goalkeeper For UVa Without Missing A Beat E By Greg Waters lly Buckley likes to have fun, and this season she and Virginia's field hockey team plan on having a lot of it. "She's always there to do something fun," UVa head coach Michelle Madison said. "Elly and the senior class, they're very close and they bring the team closer." But Madison is quick to point out that her cocaptain has a highly competitive side as well. "She brings hard work, she loves the game and she knows how to balance the two," Madison said. "She plays for the love of the game; it's not work for her, but at the appropriate moments she gets serious." This year, Buckley and the fourth-year class are hoping to have a lot of fun winning, and the Wahoos opened the season undefeated in their first seven contests and ranked fifth nationally (as of Sept. 16). However, after experiencing the excitement and rush of playing in the NCAA Tournament semifinals as a first-year, Buckley and her teammates are looking forward to more than regular-season success. "We have really high expectations this season," said the native of Perth, Australia. "My goal is to play the best I can, and my teammates are doing really great to start the season." Virginia lost to No. 3 North Carolina 3‑2 in the national semifinals in 2010, ending a record-setting campaign at 20-4, setting a program mark for wins in a season and making the club's third overall appearance in college field hockey's final four. "The first year was very rewarding getting to the finals," Buckley said. The Cavaliers may be primed for another special season. If that is to happen, Buckley, who will earn her psychology degree in May, will need to continue the kind of performance that has earned her All-America honors her previous three seasons in Charlottesville. Buckley entered this season tied for seventh in career points (133), eighth in career goals (53) and 10th in career assists (27) in school history. The nucleus of the 2012 team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament returns, but the five payers that departed included two former Olympians — four-time All-American Paige Selenski and 2012 U.S. Field Hockey National Player of the Year Michelle Vittese. That's why Madison is relying on Buckley. Her natural tendency is to take over a game, but like a good point guard in basketball she can distribute the ball to get others involved. "She'll find you, but you have to be ready because she can get the ball to you from anywhere on the

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