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Wake Forest Upends Top Seed Maryland for ACC Field Hockey Championship Title
Nov. 5, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Michelle Kasold's lone unassisted goal in the first half was more than enough, as Wake Forest clinched the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey championship title for the third time in the last five years. Prior to the game, the Demon Deacons marched onto the field at Francis E. Henry Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., with a mission and accomplished it successfully on Sunday afternoon. The first half was a back-and-fourth battle between the top two seeded teams. In the first 20 minutes of the game, each team had a penalty corner but neither was able to convert. Senior midfielder Lauren Crandall, who was voted the tournament's most valuable player, blasted a shot at the top of the circle with less than three minutes, but Maryland goalkeeper Kathryn Masson stepped up to make a great save. Wake Forest's patience paid off seconds before the break, as sophomore Michelle Kasold flicked a shot with 11 seconds on the clock into the top right corner of the net and gave the Deacs a 1-0 lead. The goal was Kasold's 20th of the season. Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the second half, including a late rally by Maryland that would have tied the game and pushed it into extra time. Early on, the Deacs had chances directly in front of the net, but found Terrapins' Masson in their face each time to make the stops. The Terps took their first shot in the game with 13:19 on the clock, as Paula Infante fired one that sailed over the net. Maryland went on the offense, with Emily Trycinski taking a shot and the Terps collecting a pair of back-to-back penalty corners. Neither of the shots made it to the back of the net. As the clock winded down, Maryland took two more shots inside the Deacs' circle but wasn't able to score. Crystal Duffield made a huge save for Wake Forest in the final seconds, as she kicked the ball away from a Maryland player in front of the net. Wake Forest improves to 19-1 on the year and extends its winning streak to 10 straight games, while Maryland (19-2) suffered only its second loss of the season. Up next, all six ACC field hockey teams await for the 16-team field announcement from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, which will be televised on Tuesday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. on CSTV. The first and second rounds of the 2006 NCAA Tournament will take place November 11 and 12, at campus sites yet to be determined. Wake Forest will host the finals November 17 and 19, at Kentner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. A broadcast of today's championship game will be aired later this evening at 5:30 p.m. ET on the Regional Sports Network (RSN), which consists of FSN South, FSN Florida, Comcast SportsNet, and New England Sports Network (NESN). A web cast replay of this match is also available online through ACC Select at www.TheACC.com. 2006 ACC Field Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year
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