Sept. 28, 2006
Friday, September 29 - at #17 James Madison * 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 1 - vs. Towson * 1:00 p.m.
ON THE ROAD ONE MORE TIME: The Lady Monarchs emd their five-game road trip on Friday night when they travel to James Madison for a conference match-up. So far this season Old Dominion in 7-1 on the road, including a neutral site meeting with Ohio. All together, the Lady Monarchs will have traveled to three states (North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and nearly 1,500 miles during their three weeks on the road. Old Dominion returns this Sunday, October 1st against CAA opponent Towson for only its third home game and first since its win over Michigan on September 10th.
CONFERENCE SLATE BEGINS: The Lady Monarchs opened conference play last weekend picking up a 5-0 shutout over the Drexel Dragons. The Lady Monarchs are now 15-1 all-time in CAA openers and are 119-5 overall against CAA competition, including a 89-3 mark in regular season action. Although a majority of the CAA has already begun conference competition, James Madison will open up its CAA schedule with Old Dominion Friday night.
LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE "D": Last week redshirt goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll and the Old Dominion defense racked up two shutouts with 5-0 wins over both Princeton and Drexel. Overall, the Lady Monarchs have collected four shutouts this season and have yet to allow an opponet score on Foreman Field.
THIS IS HOW WE START: Old Dominion is off to a 9-1 start, the best start by the program since 2000. That season the Lady Monarchs won the first two games of the season before falling to Maryland. The loss against the Terps would be the only that season as the Lady Monarchs rattled off 23 straight victories and brought home its last national championship. The 2006 campaign kicked off with a 3-0 start, its best start to a season since they started off the 2002 Final Four season 3-0 as well. Again it was Maryland who haulted the winning streak this season and also back in 2002.
WELCOME HOME: Old Dominion returns home on Sunday for the first time in 20 days. The team opened up play at home this seasonpicking up two ranked victories. The Lady Monarchs downed #19 Richmond, 3-0, and #20 Michigan, 2-0, for a 2-0 home record so far at Foreman Field this season. The Lady Monarchs have one of the toughest home field turfs to play on. Last season, the Lady Monarchs boasted a 9-3 record with the two of the three losses coming against teams ranked in the top three.
TWO MORE FOR THE ROAD: Old Dominion, fresh off a five-game road trip, hosts Towson at home on Sunday, but goes right back on the road for two contests at Delaware and Virginia Commonwealth. However once they return, the Lady Monarchs will close out the regular season with six straight home contests.
LAST TIME VS. JAMES MADISON: The sixth-ranked Old Dominion field hockey team took a 3-0 lead early in the second half and thwarted a late surge by James Madison to hold on for a 3-2 victory over the No. 17 Dukes last September 30th. The Lady Monarchs controlled the first half of action and held a 2-0 lead at the half. Darcy Pinchbeck got scoring started seven minutes into the game as classmate Anna Rogers crossed the ball in front of the net to await Pinchbeck's shot on the right corner. Midway through the half, Old Dominion added in another goal coming on the option from one of their four penalty corners of the period. After Caroline Nichols stopped the insert, striker Janelle Engle quickly passed the ball to the left corner for Daphne Admiraal to find the back of the James Madison cage. In all, the Lady Monarchs had six shots in the half and held to Dukes to just one. Old Dominion started the second half slow, but Dana Sensenig (Denver, Pa.) managed to give the Lady Monarchs a 3-0 advantage with over 30 minute left in the game. Sensenig fired off a hard shot near the top left of the circle for her eighth tally of the season. James Madison however did not go quietly. The comeback started as Lindsay Coffman fired off a hard shot as she entered the circle with just under 22 minutes left in the game. The goal was Coffman's first of the season. Both teams took turns at each others net and managed several times to get into the circle, but neither team could convert until the Dukes were awarded a penalty corner with under eight minutes to go. Like the Lady Monarchs had done earlier, James Madison used the option with stick-stopper Maureen Klingler passing to freshman Ashley Walls along the right side of the cage putting the Dukes within one. Neither team managed a tally in the closing minutes. The Lady Monarchs outshot the Dukes, 10-6, and outcornered them, 5-3.
LAST TIME VS. TOWSON: The Old Dominion field hockey tea picked up an 8-2 come from behind victory over Towson last October 3rd at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Five different Lady Monarchs collected goals in the game including multiple scoring efforts by Darcy Pinchbeck, Dana Sensenig, and Denise Admiraal. The eight goals scored by the Lady Monarchs marked their highest output of the season as they won their fifth straight game. The Lady Monarchs had to come from behind in the game as Towson quickly established a 2-0 lead a mere two minutes and 44 seconds into the contest. Laura Passalacqua scored 1:12 into the game and was followed by Erica Houck a minute and a half later. Those two shots however, would be the only ones Old Dominion would allow the Tigers to take the rest of the afternoon as the Lady Monarchs would go on to score eight unanswered goals. Anna Rogers put the Lady Monarchs onto the board six minutes into first half and by the 15th minute fellow classmate Pinchbeck tied the game at 2-2. Admiraal gave Old Dominion the lead for good, 3-2, entering the half on her first goal of the afternoon. Old Dominion would strike seconds into the second half as Sensenig registered the first of her back-to-back goals. She added in her second tally of the afternoon at the 50th minute to give the Lady Monarchs a 5-2 lead. During the course of the next eight minutes, Pinchbeck and Admiraal collected their second goals of the afternoon and reserve Jennifer Angat put away ODU's final score in the 61st minute. The Lady Monarchs outshot Towson 16-2 and registered 10 penalty corners compared to the Tigers' two.
WORLD CUP: USA Field Hockey and women's national team coach Lee Bodimeade have announced that three former Lady Monarchs will be among the 18-member team to represent the USA at next month's Samsung World Cup in Madrid, Spain. Honda Award winner Tiffany Snow, All-American Angie Loy, and defensive specialist Melissa Leonetti will try to help the US team bring home gold beginning on September 27th. The USA will fell to Argentina in the team's World Cup opener on Sept. 27, 1-2, and will meet Australia in the second game on Sept. 28.
COMING UP: Old Dominion hits the road next weekend for more CAA action. The Lady Monarchs travel to Virginia Commonwealth on Friday, October 6th and Delaware on Sunday, October 8th.