Sept. 13, 2008
NORFOLK, Va. -- The No. 20 Old Dominion field hockey team made its 2008 home debut by christening the brand new Powhatan Sports Complex with a 3-1 victory over Richmond Saturday afternoon. CAA Preseason Player of the Year Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.), All-CAA Preseason team member Loran Hatch (Green Lane, Pa.), and junior Katie Ueberroth (Stevens, Pa.) all had a hand in scoring in ODU's first victory of the 2008 season.
The victory put the Lady Monarchs into the win column for the first time this season as they improved to 1-4 overall. The Spiders meanwhile fell to 1-4.
Old Dominion wasted no time in establishing the lead. On its first penalty corner of the game, striker Smither hit the ball towards the Richmond cage. Smither's shot was saved by Spider keeper Becca Weaver only to go up into the air to the right post where Hatch was waiting to lift her stick and rebound the ball into the back of the cage.
The Lady Monarchs did not score again until the final minutes of the first half establishing a 2-0 lead heading into the half. Smither tallied her second goal of the season in the 30th minute of play.
Richmond thwarted the shutout moments into half number two. The Spider's Megan Thompson happened to breakthrough the Lady Monarch defense and enter the right side of the circle for a breakaway goal at the 36 minute mark. The goal, however, would be Richmond's only goal of the afternoon.
Old Dominion's Ueberroth added in an insurance goal in the game's 44th minute of action off one of the Lady Monarch's 14 penalty corners of the game.
Goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.) made four stops in the cage, while her counterpart, Weaver, recorded 10 saves.
Old Dominion outshot Richmond, 16-6, and held a 14-4 advantage in penalty corners.
The Lady Monarchs hit the road for their next four contests. Next weekend Old Dominion will travel to No. 3 and defending national champion North Carolina on Friday, September 19th and take on No. 6 Duke on Sunday, September 21st.