Courtesy: Jim Daves/UVa Media Relations Jenny Hauser

DURHAM, N.C. - A strong start and solid midfield play on Saturday afternoon led the No. 4 Virginia women’s lacrosse team to a 13-9 victory over ACC-rival No. 5 Duke in Koskinen Stadium. The win marks the first for a team visiting Durham in the last 20 tries, as the Cavaliers were the last to beat the Blue Devils on their home turf, an 11-10 win on April 1, 2006. The loss for Duke (7-3, 1-2 ACC) is also the first time the Blue Devils have dropped two straight since the 2005 season, and is just the second time in the last six years that Virginia has beat Duke in the regular season.

Junior Jenny Hauser was just the second Cavalier this season to notch five goals in a single game, leading seven Virginia scorers. Sophomores Kaitlin Duff and Brittany Kalkstein each recorded two goals, while seniors Megan O’Malley and Kaitlin Swagart tallied three points each, on a goal and two assists. Junior Ashley McCulloch had a goal and an assist, and sophomore Caity Whiteley contributed a goal for the second-straight game.

Seniors Claire Bordley, Alice Hughey and O’Malley led Virginia’s midfield in breaking up seven of Duke’s 14 clears, causing two turnovers apiece. The Cavaliers also won eight of the opening 11 draw controls, and held the final edge in ground balls, at 14-11. Kalkstein had three draw controls and four ground balls.

Led by Bordley’s four draw controls in the opening half alone, the Cavaliers were able to jump out to an 8-2 halftime advantage, holding their fourth opponent to under-two goals in the first 30 minutes.

Swagart notched the first goal 1:12 into the game and Duke responded with a score at 26:24. Hauser then fired two consecutive goals within two minutes into the back of the net, pushing Virginia ahead, 3-1.

The Blue Devils answered back with a goal at 14:42, but it’d be their last of the half as Virginia went on to score six straight. Duff started the streak firing a pass from Swagart into the back of the net at 8:32. McCulloch added another at 6:08 and Hauser tallied two more by 2:49. Kalkstein’s goal at 1:45 led Virginia into the intermission with a six-goal advantage.

Duke came out of the break firing a goal 17 seconds into play, but Whiteley answered for the Cavaliers at the 23:46 mark. The Blue Devils rallied for two-straight scores, before O’Malley and Hauser tacked on two more for Virginia, giving the Cavaliers an 11-5 lead.

The Blue Devils went on to score four of the game’s final six goals, but Kalkstein’s goal with 3:26 left to play secured the final score at 13-9.

Virginia (8-2, 3-1 ACC) will return to action on Wednesday, playing host to Old Dominion. The Monarch’s will visit Klöckner Stadium for a 7 p.m. opening draw.