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field. She has a big stick," Madison said. "She'll look first to make it work, but she has that mode to just take over herself, and that's where her strengths lie, but she doesn't really like to do that." Buckley played in the defensive backfield last season to ease the pounding on an injured knee, but is transitioning back to offense this year to provide some additional firepower. She said that her big focus over the summer was to protect her knee and improve fitness. "I've never been one to hold back during a game, so I never really notice my knee, but after a game I notice how sore it is," she said. "It doesn't hold me back as much as it probably should. But I'm ready for a full season and looking to go full speed. I've got a lot of great teammates, and Coach Madison is really good about helping me manage the knee, and "In competition she's pretty serious. She has to work on being very composed because she wants to do everything for the team," Madison said. "She'll get in that mode where she wants to carry the team on her back, and she knows that doesn't always work because you carry a lot of pressure as well. She needs to stay with the team, the game plan and the team structure and her opportunity will come." In the first seven games of the season, that wisdom proved prophetic. Buckley had plenty of opportunities to help her team off to its strong start. She led the team in both goals (nine) and points (22). She was named the first ACC Player of the Week Sept. 3 after scoring a pair of game-winning goals in UVa's victories over Louisville and No. 6 Penn State the previous week. "Our team will be extremely successful if everyone stays within their own game, and so if "He's kind of just the steady presence Elly stays within her own game that will be the best contribution she can make to in the back. He's got that calm presthe team," Madison said. "We have a lot of ence about him, which makes us feel young players, and we need Elly to keep them level-headed, grounded and stay in good about him back there." the moment, and enjoy what they're doing." Second-year defender Zach Carroll on Gal Enjoying what she's doing is the easy part for Buckley and the rest of the fourththe trainers do a lot of work so everyone helps me year class, so the nine incoming first-year teammates out a lot." should have strong role models. As part of her fitness program, Buckley said she "We're pretty much all best friends off the field, spent a lot of time on the rowing machine to limit and we're with each other 24/7 and it's awesome," the amount of running she needed to do and played she said. "When we get done with practice we all go field hockey back home in Australia to get back in the back to the house and just hang out. The camaraderie offensive groove. helps a lot building our team, and we have a lot of fun Even from her defensive position last season at on the field as well. And if we have a discussion on sweeper, Buckley still produced offense, ending the field it never comes off and becomes an issue." the season as UVa's second-leading scorer with 41 After graduation, Buckley plans on returning to her points. Buckley is back on the offensive side of things native Australia to help others have fun, working with this season at striker, and Madison said the biggest her brother and sister at their event staffing company, challenge right now is slowing her star down a little. Perth Bar Staff. Buckley's fairly positive that she'll "Coach has been really big on my composure in get the job. the circle. I like to wind up and just let it go and it "I hope I have a job since my sister's doing the doesn't really go into the goal," Buckley quipped. hiring," she joked. ◆