Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/90993
the defense has to be prepared for you. I just enjoy shooting. It's fun." Owen — who was born in Denver and grew up in Annapolis, Md. — certainly looks like she's having plenty of fun when she plays, too. When you look at the sheer number of goals she's scored, the tendency is to think that's all she does. However, My- ers says that's far from the case. "I think she's a great goal scorer, but even better at getting her team involved," Myers said. "That's the hardest job — making sure that you're setting up your teammates as well as getting your own looks. Josie knows the more she gets everyone else involved, the better things will go for her and for our team. "She understands the game of lacrosse, she sees things before they unfold, right as they're starting to develop and can set people up." Last season, Owen had 40 goals and 16 assists, including a goal in every regular- season game. This season, Owen was nominated for the Tewaaraton Award, which goes to the top player in the country. In addition, she was named to the All-ACC and ACC All- Tournament teams. Consistency has been the name of the game for Owen this spring. "I think she's had so many great games that no one game stands out," Myers said, "but over her career she's been a clutch player and has made huge plays at critical moments." Believe it or not, Owen said her shooting was "erratic" during her first few years at Virginia. "I just feel like this season I've developed a little more confidence which has helped me," she said, "but the people around me set me up most of the time. I wouldn't be any- where without the teammates that I have. This year I've just been the one to finish, but every person on the team has contributed to that." Owens' path to success had a major hur- dle. It was at the end of her second-year season when she tore her ACL. The injury sidelined her for the last few games of the season and all of the fall season. In all, she was out of action for seven months. "It was definitely tough," she said, "but I feel like it's made me a tougher athlete in general, having to come back from that. "When you go down with that injury and you miss seven months, it definitely makes you appreciate why you're still playing the game and why you put so much time into it. It made me take a step back and really appreciate what I was doing at Virginia … it's easy to lose sight of that when you get caught up in it." 14 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER Owen led the women's squad with team-best totals in both goals (41) and assists (35) during the regular season. PHOTO BY ANDREW SHURTLEFF The two games that Owen said she will always remember when she looks back at her college career came during her second- year season when Virginia beat North Caro- lina and then, later in the year, Towson. The win over Towson came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and was the first game that UVa played after the death of former player Yeardley Love. "I was on the sidelines because I had just gotten knee surgery," Owen said, "but it was still a really [memorable] experience." Of course, Bocklet's most memorable game is a pretty obvious one. It was last spring that Virginia shocked the lacrosse world with a string of upsets that netted the program its fifth NCAA championship. This spring, Bocklet is leading the charge for a sixth. Off the field, Bocklet is known for his fun-loving demeanor. One of his favorite pastimes is playing practical jokes on people. Bocklet has a particular affinity for April Fool's Day. A few years ago, he hid crickets in the bedrooms of teammates Steele Stan- wick, Matt Kugler, Wyatt Lezer and Brian Pomper. Back when he was in high school, Bock- let set alarm clocks in his family's house to go off every hour between 2 and 5 a.m. Another year, Bocklet put Icy Hot on all the toilet seats in the residence. Last year, he pretended to phone his older brother — from jail. Starsia laughed when asked if Bocklet had pranked him. "I think that would take a degree of nerve," Starsia said. "He hasn't tried any- thing yet." Overall, both Bocklet and Owens said they have thoroughly enjoyed their time as student-athletes at Virginia. "My experience here at UVa has been ab- solutely amazing," Bocklet said. "I couldn't pick another place I'd have rather gone to. I've loved every year I've spent here. I'm really sad it's ending. "When people ask me, 'What do you love most about this campus and playing for this team?' I'd have to say it's the people that I'm surrounded by. The coaching staff, the players and everyone who works around this program — we have a great bunch of people with a great bunch of personalities