Nov. 10, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The 2007 Old Dominion field hockey season came to end on Saturday afternoon with a 5-0 loss to host Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Monarchs, who were making their 27th consecutive appearance in the tournament, end the year with a 12-10 overall mark.
Maryland had only a one goal lead at the half, with Old Dominion nearly even in shots and corners. The Terps held just a slight edge in each category, outshooting ODU 8-7 and having a 3-2 advantage in penalty corners through the first 35 minutes of action.
Maryland struck three minutes into the game as Sarah Scholl managed to draw out Lady Monarch netminder Kelly Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.) out of the cage. Driscoll charged at Scholl to make a stop, but Scholl passed to Nicole Muracco near the right post for the early 1-0 Terp lead.
Driscoll would go on to record four saves in the first half as she and the ODU defense held the Terps without a goal for the rest of the period.
The second half, however, had the Terps score four answered goals in the half's first 12 minutes.
Three of Maryland's four second half goals occured within a six minute time frame. Two minutes into the second stanza Ellen Ott capitalized on a deflection on a Terp penalty corner. Nearly two minutes after Ott's goal, Susie Row gave Maryland a 3-0 advantage by converting a penalty stroke. Another two minutes following the stroke, Katie O'Donnell intercepted the ball for a breakway into the circle and the final goal of the afternoon.
Late in the second half, Old Dominion had several scoring opportunities, including including two penalty corners. Junior Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.) on the first corner attempt had her shot saved while freshman Loran Hatch (Green Lane, Pa.) and sophomore Katie Ueberroth (Stevens, Pa.) tried for the rebound. Both had their shots saved by Terp keeper Kathryn Masson. Smither had two more shots on the Maryland goal a minute later on another ODU corner attempt, but had her first shot saved and her second shot blocked. Sophomores Hanna Warren (Green Lane, Pa.) and Alyschia Conn (Peach Bottom, Pa.) also had shot attempts in the latter parts of the second half.
Smither ended the game leading the Lady Monarchs in shots with five, including two on goal. Ueberroth had three shot attempts with all three on the Terp goal.
Driscoll made a total of five saves in the loss. Masson started the game for Maryland making eight saves in 53 minutes of action. Reserve Alicia Grater made two stops playing the game's final 16 minutes.
In all, Maryland outshot the Lady Monarchs 18-14 and held a 7-4 advantage in penalty corners.
Maryland advances to the second round awaiting the winner of Saturday's other first round game in College Park between Penn State and Virginia.
The Lady Monarchs, who are the only Division I team to appear in all 27 tournaments since its inception in 1981, are now 46-18 all-time in the tournament.
The game also marked the final appearance for three Lady Monarch seniors - Sami McLenegan (Middletown, Pa.), Shannon Mobley (Va. Beach, Va.), and Jo Ann van Aswegen (Bloemfontein, South Africa).