No. 2 Wake Forest Picks Up First Win, Defeats Michigan, 3-2



Aug. 26, 2007

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - After opening the season with a loss, the second-ranked Wake Forest field hockey team rebounded on Sunday with a 3-2 win over host and 12th-ranked Michigan in the final game of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Ocker Field.

Play started out slow for both teams, but Wake Forest (1-1) quickly took a two-goal lead halfway through the first half. Kim Romansky crossed the ball long to Chelsea Cipriani, who was waiting on the left post and one-timed it in to give the Deacs a 1-0 lead at the 12:32 mark.

Less than two minutes later, Raisa Schiller scored from the top right of the circle at the 14:12 mark.

After Wake goalkeeper Crystal Duffield saved a Michigan goal, the Wolverines kept pushing and finally found a way to get on board as Kelly Fitzpatrick lifted the ball over Duffield at the 28:48 mark.

After Romansky's shot went wide to open the second period, the junior followed up by scoring her first career goal after a breakaway and put the Deacs up 3-1 at the 39:22 mark. Wake seemed to continue its second-half domination as it took four straight shots, but Michigan made things interesting when it scored after a penalty corner to cut the visiting team's lead by one goal.

As the game was closing Duffield made two huge saves to keep the game from going into overtime. Duffield recorded three saves, while Michigan's Paige Pickett totaled five. The Deacs out-shot the Wolverines 15-7 with Cipriani leading the group with three shots, while Regina Shannon had two shot, both on goal.

 

 

Wake Forest continues action on the road as it travels to cross-town rival North Carolina on Aug. 31 for a 7 p.m. game.