Nov. 10, 2007

Tar Heels Advance With 14th Shutout

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Freshman Katelyn Falgowski scored twice as the North Carolina field hockey team beat visiting Stanford 4-0 Saturday at Francis E. Henry Stadium in an NCAA Tournament first-round game. The top-ranked Tar Heels improved to 21-0 on the season and advanced to play a second-round game on Sunday at 2 p.m. against either Duke or James Madison, which will meet in the second game of Saturday's first-round doubleheader. Stanford, which beat Lock Haven in a play-in game to reach the NCAA field, ended its season with a record of 13-8.

Falgowski, the ACC Freshman of the Year, gave UNC the only goal it would need in the ninth minute of play. She took a pass from senior Laree Beans and shot the ball from the middle of the circle to put the Tar Heels up 1-0.

Carolina's next goal came just shy of the 14-minute mark on an unassisted shot by senior Jesse Gey. Falgowski scored again six minutes later after UNC drew the team's third penalty corner of the game. Senior Heather Kendell chased down a ball that had gotten out of the circle and sent it back in to Falgowski, who put her shot to the right of Stanford goalkeeper Madison Bell.

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Wake Continues in NCAAs with 3-2 Michigan State Win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The second-seeded Wake Forest field hockey team defeated Michigan State for the second time this season to continue on in early round action of the NCAA tournament at the University of Michigan.

The 3-2 win set the Demon Deacons at 15-5, while the Michigan State Spartans will finish the year with a final mark of 16-6.

Wake Forest sophomore Regina Shannon put the first point up for the Deacons when she capitalized on a penalty corner 25 minutes into the contest. The Deacons held the 1-0 lead going into the halftime break.

State's Angela Pagura knotted the match in the 47th minute when her unassisted shot tapped the right post and penetrated the Wake goal. Just 90 seconds later the Demon Deacons regained the lead when Emily Cummings took control in a scramble at the Spartan net and sent the ball past goalkeeper Allisa Unger for the 2-1 lead.

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Maryland Advances to NCAA Second Round with 5-0 Win Over Old Dominion

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The second-seeded University of Maryland field hockey team solidly defeated No. 10 Old Dominion, 5-0, on Saturday morning at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terps received scoring from five different players, and goalkeepers senior Kathryn Masson (Richmond, British Columbia) and junior Alicia Grater (Gilbertsville, Pa.) combined efforts for 10 saves and the shutout.

The game was evenly matched in the first half, with the only goal coming from Maryland sophomore Nicole Muracco (Sewell, N.J.) at the three-minute mark. On a dish from junior Sarah Scholl (Center Valley, Pa.), Muracco executed a dodge to get Old Dominion goalie Kelly Driscoll leaning, and slammed the ball into the right side of the cage.

The 1-0 score would stand until halftime. Maryland junior Ellen Ott (Schwenksville, Pa.) broke open a Terps' scoring spree in the second half with a penalty corner deflection for a goal at 37:16, assisted by junior Susie Rowe (London, England). Rowe got on the board again two minutes later with a successful penalty stroke, faking Driscoll to the left and flicking to the right center of the cage.

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Duke Falls To JMU, 5-4, In NCAA Tournament Action

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The 12th-ranked Duke field hockey team fell to seventh-ranked James Madison by a score of 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at the University of North Carolina's Francis E. Henry Stadium in NCAA Tournament first round action.

James Madison opened the game with a shot one minute into the contest, but Blue Devil senior goalie Caitlin Williams came up with the save. Shortly after, another JMU shot attempt was blocked and Williams saved another shot on the ensuing penalty corner. The Dukes received another corner opportunity but a foul resulted in a Blue Devil possession.

Duke converted on its first shot of the day as sophomore Amie Survilla dribbled down the left side of the field and around JMU goalie Kelsey Cutchins, to net an unassisted goal at the 28:13 mark. The tally was Survilla's 12th of the season and the goal was the first allowed by JMU in 378 total minutes, as the Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead.

Two and half minutes later, junior Marian Dickinson found classmate Ashley Pultorak in the circle, as Duke went up 2-0 on Pultorak's fourth tally of the season.

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Cavaliers Fall to Penn State 3-2 in NCAA First Round

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Cavalier field hockey team fell 3-2 in a hard-fought battle to No. 8/9 Penn State today in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Field Hockey Championships held in College Park. Virginia's Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn notched a goal and an assist, sandwiching them around three Nittany Lion goals in the loss. The No. 11/12 Cavaliers (11-10) outshot Penn State 10-9, but Jen Beaumont made six saves for the Nittany Lions to help them to the win.

After the Cavaliers denied Penn State three times on corners to start the game, Virginia drew a short corner as Ragukas picked off a pass and gave it to Katherine Bounds, who in turn sent the ball to Lauren Elstein, who drew the short. On the play, Virginia took the lead 1-0 in the 24th minute as Ragukas tipped a Kaars Sijpesteijn pass into the nets. The Cavaliers outshot the Nittany Lions and led 1-0 at the break.

Penn State notched a pair of goals 90 seconds apart in the second half to take the lead. Shaun Banta redirected a Britney Long entry into the boards to tie the game at 1-1 at 40:52, and Mallory Weisen connected on a direct corner shot at 42:27 off assists from Jen Long and Allison Scola for a 2-1 lead. Penn State made it 3-1 as Banta scored on a stickback off a corner rebound at 55:34.

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