CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 1 and top-seeded Maryland will be heading to the championship title game of the 2006 ACC Field Hockey Tournament for the third straight year and 19th all-time. The Terrapins got stellar performances from ACC Defensive Player of the Year Paula Infante and all-conference pick Susie Rowe, as the duo notched two goals apiece to lead the Terps to a 5-2 victory against No. 5 seed Virginia at the Francis E. Henry Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Terrapins improve to 19-1 on the year, as they advance to the league's championship title game on Sunday, November 5. Virginia will head home with a 13-7 record and await the announcement of its fate in the NCAA Tournament early next week.

Maryland went on the attack early, as Infante took the first shot for the Terrapins. Cavalier netminder Katherine Blair came up with a save before another shot attempt by Maryland's Rowe was blocked by a UVa defender.

Both teams took turns battling on each side of the field, but the Terrapins finally broke through the Cavs' defense. Freshman midfielder Brianna Davies fed a pass to Emily Trycinski, who was standing in front of the net, for the tip-in and a 1-0 lead.

The Cavaliers had chances to tie the game in the last two minutes of the first half. UVa was awarded a pair of penalty corners but weren't able to convert, as the shots sailed high over the net.

The tide changed in favor of the Terrapins in the second half after Infante put Maryland up 2-0 on a double assist with 28:28 on the clock. Janneke van Leeuwen picked up her 13th assist of the season, while it was the fourth for Kristina Edmonds.

UVa would counter minutes later, as freshman midfielder Fenna Breitbarth scored on an unassisted goal at the 45th minute to cut the lead 2-1.

Infante came through for the Terps again, as she side stepped past a group of Cavaliers and knocked in a shot past Blair to give Maryland a 3-1 advantage.

With less than 14 minutes left in regulation, Rowe took a pass from Infante and netted her first goal in the game. Not less than a minute passed before Rowe backhanded her second goal of the game into the lower left corner of the net for a significant 5-1 lead.

The Cavaliers fought to the very end, including a goal on a penalty corner by Mia Link as the clock expired. It would too late for UVa as it fell to the Terps by a final score of 5-2.

Goals by Infante and Rowe were both their 11th of the season.

The Terps will now battle the winner of the No. 2 Wake Forest versus No. 6 North Carolina game, which gets underway at 7 p.m.

Sunday's championship game will be televised at 12 p.m. tip-off, and will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis at 5:30 p.m. ET on FSN South, FSN Florida, Comcast SportsNet, and New England Sports Network (NESN).

A web cast replay of this match is available online through ACC Select at www.TheACC.com.

SCORING SUMMARY:

Goal    Time       Team      Goal Scorer                    Assist
1       24:09      MD         Emily Trycinski (6)           Brianna Davies
2       41:32      MD         Paula Infante (10)            Kristina Edmonds; Janneke van Leeuwen (pc)
3       44:30      VA         Fenna Breitbarth (3)          unassisted
4       52:10      MD         Paula Infante (11)            unassisted
5       56:20      MD         Susie Rowe (10)               Paula Infante (pc)
6       57:19      MD         Susie Rowe (11)               unassisted
7       70:00      VA         Mia Link (5)                  I. Kaars Sijpestijn (pc)

Keepers:    Kathryn Masson, Maryland (70 minutes, 3 saves, 2 goals against)
                  Katherine Blair, Virginia (70 minutes, 5 saves, 5 goals against)

Shots:  Maryland 12, Virginia 9
Corners:  Maryland 4, Virginia 3
Saves:  Virginia 5, Maryland 3