Field Hockey NCAA ACCtion: Sunday, November 16

Nov. 16, 2008

Offensive Outburst Puts Terps Field Hockey Back in the Final Four

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It was a big day Sunday for Katie O'Donnell and the Maryland field hockey team as the Terrapins advanced to the Final Four with an 8-5 victory over Duke at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park. O'Donnell, who saw a stellar freshman campaign cut short when the Terps were bounced in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament, saw to it that history would not repeat itself with a goal and four assists in the Terps' romp.

This was not the same Terrapin team which had lost, 3-2, to the Blue Devils back in October. On that day, three Terps - O'Donnell, Alexis Pappas and Brianna Davies - were in the midst of a gold medal run for the United States at the Junior Pan American Games. With the team at full strength on Sunday, the Terps all but wrapped up a spot in their eighth Final Four in ten years by halftime.

Maryland never had a lead against the Blue Devils in the teams' first meeting, only managing to tie the score twice. That changed 5:25 into Sunday's game, but the Terps' goal scorer did not. Senior Susie Rowe (London, England/Colfe's School), who scored each of the team's goals in the first game with Duke, was the beneficiary of a perfectly executed penalty corner as seniors Ellen Ott (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) and Emma Thomas (High Wycombe, England/Wycombe) assisted on Rowe's 26th goal of the season.

The Terps will be in Louisville next Friday for the NCAA Semifinals, but who they will face is still yet to be determined. In a tie game, the Michigan State Spartans and Iowa Hawkeyes had to suspend play Sunday due to snow. The game will be resumed where it left off, midway through the second half, on Monday morning at 11 a.m.

Wake Forest Headed to Final Four with 4-3 Comeback Win over Virginia

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Second-seeded Wake Forest is headed to the NCAA Final Four for the ninth consecutive season after taking a 4-3 win over Virginia on Sunday in the quarterfinals at Kentner Stadium.

Virginia (14-9) posted an early lead as Cavalier striker Paige Selenski added her 18th and 19th goals of the season to put UVA 2-0.

With five minutes to play before halftime, Wake Forest (21-3) senior Michelle Kasold plowed through the scoring circle to send in an unassisted goal, keeping Wake Forest within one point of the Cavaliers.

Less than a minute later, junior Hilary Moore picked the ball off a UVA attacker and rushed the Cavalier cage where Kasold was once again waiting in prime position. Kasold's second goal knotted the score at 2-2.

Wake Forest will play 3-seed Syracuse (22-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Louisville. Syracuse defeated Princeton 3-2 in double overtime in the quarterfinals.