Virginia
Northwestern field hockey prevails in overtime battle with Virginia
A championship-caliber clash played out Sunday on Lakeside Field, with No. 2 Northwestern and unseeded Virginia battling for a coveted NCAA tournament semifinal berth.
Two battle-tested teams from the nation’s premier conferences exchanged blows like prized fighters. Neither group would gift wrap a win for its opponent with a fatal error — someone had to find an extra gear to garner an elusive victory.
Coach Tracey Fuchs’ squad had been in this situation before, prevailing 3-2 over Louisville in last season’s quarterfinal, knocking off Iowa in a shootout during the 2022 Elite Eight and defeating the Hawkeyes 1-0 on that same stage in 2021.
For Fuchs, her team’s experience in close contests throughout the campaign built the foundation for postseason success. She’d watched her squad secure a comeback 3-2 victory at Princeton, grind out a 2-1 overtime win at Michigan and suffer its lone loss to the Wolverines in the conference championship. Sunday, it was win or go home.
“We’ve been in five, six really tough battles — maybe even more than that,” Fuchs said. “That’s what makes championship teams.”
In a game that packed several lead changes, yellow cards, a disallowed goal and an overtime winner, the Wildcats (21-1, 8-0 Big Ten) defeated the Cavaliers (14-5, 6-2 ACC) 3-2. The win punched the program’s ticket to a fourth consecutive Final Four.
The ’Cats trailed for the first time in NCAA tournament play, falling behind on Virginia midfielder Suze Leemans’ penalty corner conversion with 74 seconds remaining in the first half. The disciplined Cavalier defense held NU to just four shots in the opening 30 minutes.
Still, Fuchs said she felt a breakthrough was imminent at halftime. She added that she was pleased with her team’s first-half effort — it just needed a few bounces to go its way.
“We knew there was nothing drastic that needed to happen — we just had to keep plugging away, keep finishing,” senior midfielder Maddie Zimmer said.
The hosts found just that in the third quarter, with freshman midfielder Elaine Velthuizen nabbing an equalizer and sophomore forward Ashley Sessa scoring the go-ahead goal. The ’Cats fired six shots during the frame — good for Virginia’s total shot output Sunday.
NU seemingly carried all the momentum, leading 2-1 as the final quarter approached.
“I came in after the third (quarter) and knew we were in a good spot,” Fuchs said. “You just look around, and when you have the leadership you have with these guys, my job is easy. I know they’re going to be ready for the next whistle.”
But the Cavaliers’ comeback push packed a potent punch. Virginia midfielder Daniela Mendez-Trendler recorded her eighth goal of the season just 28 seconds into the fourth quarter, tying the game at 2-2.
Midway through the period, sophomore forward Olivia Bent-Cole celebrated a would-be winner on a redirected effort in front of the net. The NU sideline erupted in relief, but a minutes-long video review ensued.
As Lakeside Field’s once raucous crowd dissipated to a hushed whisper, the referee waved off Bent-Cole’s effort, setting up a contentious final seven minutes. With neither side pulling ahead in the closing moments, the ’Cats headed to their second overtime period this season.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Fuchs watched Amazon Prime Video’s docuseries “Face Off: Inside the NHL.” She said she had one major takeaway from the show as Zimmer and graduate student midfielder Lauren Wadas lined up in their usual spots for an extra-time penalty corner.
“Your best players just need to make one good play,” Fuchs said. “They don’t have to make eight, nine, and although (Wadas) made more than one good play today, that’s the play we’ll remember. You want to put the game on these guys’ shoulders because you know they can carry the load.”
When the ball broke to Wadas’ ideal spot in the shooting circle, the fifth-year — who’d been a key architect to NU’s three consecutive national championship appearances — left no doubt.
It was a tailor-made play call for an All-American difference-maker. Amid a high-stakes contest, where every moment carried the weight of a potential winner, Wadas sent her team back to Ann Arbor: the site of the ’Cats’ first-ever national title in 2021.
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CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
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Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
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