Oct. 27, 2009

FOOTBALL

• In each of the past three weeks, an ACC player has been named as the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Walter Camp Foundation. Three weeks ago, Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis captured the honor, two weeks ago Boston College TB Montel Harris earned the award and this week, Clemson’s C.J. Spiller was named Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Tigers to a 40-37 overtime upset of 8th-ranked Miami with 310 yards of all-purpose yardage including a 90-yard kickoff return, a 55-yard scoring pass and a 48-yard non-scoring run.

• Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel leads the nation this week in pass interceptions, after picking off two passes against Miami and returning one 23 yards for a TD in the Tigers’ 30-27 overtime win. McDaniel was named the National Defensive Back of the Week by the College Performance Awards.

• When Florida State’s Rod Owens and Christian Ponder collaborated on a 98-yard touchdown pass play in FSU’s 30-27 win, the duo tied an ACC record for longest pass play set originally in 1972 by NC State’s Pat Kenny and Bruce Shaw and tied in 2000 by the Seminoles’ Marvin Minnis and Chris Weinke.

• The last three times Clemson and Miami have met, their games have gone into overtime. The Tigers have won a pair of single-OT contests in Miami including last Saturday’s 40-37 thriller. Miami took a 36-30 triple overtime heart-stopper at Clemson in 2005.

• Florida State junior QB Christian Ponder, who actually received his bachelor’s degree before the start of the 2008 football season and is scheduled to get his master’s degree by the end of this school year, currently leads the ACC in total offense and passing yardage and ranks 4th nationally in total offense. The Colleyville, Tex., native is averaging 330.4 yards per game of total offense for the Seminoles and has thrown 237 passes without an interception.

• This Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia will play the 1,200th football game in school history. The Cavaliers have played more games since starting football in 1888 than any other ACC school.

MEN’S SOCCER

• Three of the top six teams and six of the top 16 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association of America top 25 poll hail from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

• Two ACC student-athletes were chosen as part of the College Soccer News’ “Team of the Week,” including Virginia freshman forward Will Bates and Wake Forest senior forward Zack Schilawski, who tallied three of the Demon Deacons’ four goals on their 2-0 week en route to ACC Player of the Week honors.

• Virginia Tech goalkeeper Stefan Caulfield helped the Hokies to a non-conference win over Davidson, who was ranked 21st in the national polls last week. Caulfield posted his first career shutout in net, earning three saves, to hold the Wildcats scoreless and earn the win.

• Duke head coach John Kerr earned his 100th career victory after the 19th-ranked Blue Devils defeated Navy on Tuesday. Three different players tallied goals and six players overall registered a point to lead Duke past Navy, 3-0, in non-conference action at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils are now 9-1 overall at home this season - five of those shutouts.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

• Miami blanked second-ranked North Carolina, 1-0, on Sunday, a big boost for the Hurricanes as they battle for position in the final ACC standings. The Tar Heels’ 3-2 overtime loss at No. 5 Florida State last Thursday gives the Tar Heels back-to-back losses in the ACC for the first time since 2000, and marks the second time in history UNC has lost back-to-back ACC games – UNC has never lost three games in a row.

• Eighth-ranked Boston College improved to a 13-2-1 record as freshman Victoria DiMartino scored two goals to lead BC past Clemson, 5-0 on Sunday. DiMartino has compiled 13 goals and three assists for a team-leading 29 points. The two goals mark the third time she has posted multiple goal games. She also increased her game-winning goal mark to six on the season.

• On senior day on Sunday, Duke senior KayAnne Gummersall registered her first career hat trick with three goals to lead the Blue Devils to a 4-1 victory over 13th-ranked Virgnia Tech. The win was Duke’s first against a ranked opponent this season. For her career, Gummersall now owns 34 career goals, which is one shy of fourth all-time on the Blue Devil record list.

• Maryalnd’s Jasmyne Spencer scored two second-half goals to help lift the Terps past Clemson. It was Spencer’s second multi-goal game of the year and was her third game-winning goal of the season. She continues to lead the Terps in goals and points with nine and 23, respectively, and she is also tied for the team lead with five assists. Her 23 points is already the most for a Terrapin in a season since 2003 when Kimmy Francis finished with 24. Her nine goals is also the most since 2004 when Mallory Mahar also had nine in her All-America season.

FIELD HOCKEY

• The top-ranked Maryland Terrapins defeated second-ranked North Carolina to improve to 17-0 for the first time in school history. The win sealed the ACC regular-season crown for the Terps, who wrapped up conference play with a perfect 5-0 record. Maryland senior goalkeeper Alicia Grater recorded a career-high 12 saves in the win.

• The second-ranked Tar Heels allowed four goals to the Terps, ending a streak of 19 games that North Carolina allowed three goals or less, and 15 games allowing two goals or less.

• Ninth-ranked Boston College shutout fifth-ranked Syracuse (Oct. 25) at Newton Campus Field, the Eagles’ first shutout of a top-five team since a 2-0 win over fourth-ranked North Carolina on October 10, 2008.

• With three wins over ranked non-conference foes this season, Boston College has secured three such wins for the first time since 2006, when the Eagles defeated No. 12 Providence, No. 17 Boston University, No. 18 Northeastern.

VOLLEYBALL

• Virginia sophomore outside hitter and Simone Asque recorded career-highs in back-to-back matches over the weekend. She collected 21 kills in a sweep of Maryland, then topped that mark with 27 kills in a win over Boston College. She also racked up 16 digs against the Eagles for her fourth double-double of the season and eighth of her career.

• No. 17 Florida State has won seven straight matches since a loss to Georgia Tech on October 2, a loss that snapped the Seminoles previous nine-match unbeaten streak. Two more wins will equal Florida State’s previous winning streak and will mark another month where the ‘Noles did not lose a game.

• The top of the ACC Volleyball standings continue to hold little breathing room. Just four matches separate the top seven teams.

• Florida State holds a slim one-match lead over second-place Duke, a two-match lead over third-place Georgia Tech, and a 2.5 match lead over fourth-place North Carolina. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Miami – who all hold 6-5 league records – sit in a tie for fifth, just four matches out of first place.

CROSS COUNTRY

• Eight Ranked Teams Highlight 2009 ACC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championship.

• The Atlantic Coast Conference kicks off the 2009 Fall Championship schedule on Saturday, October 31 with eight ranked teams competing in the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championship held at the Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

• The men’s competition will feature four teams that are currently ranked in the top 30 of the USTFCCCA poll. Virginia enters the championship as the highest ranked ACC team at No. 12 nationally, while Florida State is 21st, Duke 26th and NC State 30th.

• The women’s race will also feature four schools ranked in the top 30 of the USTFCCCA poll. Florida State enters the championship as the highest ranked ACC team at No. 6 nationally, followed by Virginia in 11th, Duke in 16th and North Carolina at 28th.

SWIMMING & DIVING

• North Carolina junior Joe Kinderwater won events in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle to help the Tar Heel men to an upset win over Georgia. In the Tar Heels win, Kinderwater defeated Georgia’s Troy Prinsloo, the 2009 NCAA champion in both events.

• NC State senior Mason McGee, the school’s record holder in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle won three individual events and was part of the first-place 400-yard freestyle relay team in the Wolfpack’s wins over Duke and Maryland. McGee won the 200-yard free, 500-yard free and the 100- yard free.

• Virginia Tech sophomore Erika Hanjal holds the top times in the ACC this season in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly. She also has the second-best times in the league in three events – the 400-yard individual medley, 500-yard freestyle, and 1000-yard freestyle.

• Florida state senior Aleia Monden took first place in both the one-meter and three-meter dives in the Seminoles’ win over Florida A & M. Monden racked up 338.25 points in the one-meter diving event, and totaled 338.50 points in the three-meter event.