Sept. 18, 2008
Gametracker - North Carolina
Video - North Carolina
Livestats - Duke
ABOUT OLD DOMINION: The Lady Monarchs (1-4) hit the road again this weekend to take on fifth-ranked and defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels (4-2) and the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils (4-2). Last Saturday, Old Dominion picked up its first win of the season by downing the Richmond Spiders, 3-1, in their home opener at the new Powhatan Sports Complex. Three different Lady Monarchs scored in the victory. Katelyn Smither currently leads her team in scoring having notched a pair of goals. Senior goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll currently ranks sixth nationally in save, averaging 8.0 stops per game and leads the CAA with 40 saves. On the year, she is also holding a 3.34 goals against average and .727 save percentage.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA: The 2007 NCAA Champion Tar Heels enter this weekend with a 4-2 record and riding the three-game win streak. Each of fifth-ranked North Carolina's wins have been shutouts, which included victories over No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Penn State, and West Chester. The Tar Heels are third in the nation in scoring margin having won their four games by an average of 3.47 goals. The two Tar Heels losses were a 3-2 setback to No. 5 Iowa and a 2-1 loss to No. 3 Wake Forest in strokes. North Carolina is led by Danielle Forword with nine goals, three assists, and 21 points. She is third in the nation in points per game, averaging 3.5 per contest and second nationally in goals per game, tallying 1.5 per game. Illse Davids is second on the squad in scoring with six goals, three assists, and 15 points, followed by Britt van Beek with five goals and 10 points. Briana O'Donnell and Jackie Kintzer have teamed in goal to post 55 saves, a 4.06 goals against average, and .671 save percentage collectively.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA: Old Dominion holds a 33-29-2 series lead over North Carolina. The Tar Heels won both meetings last season with a 3-0 victories in both Chapel Hill and Norfolk. Prior to last season, Old Dominion had won three straight against the Heels, including its last win over North Carolina, a 3-1 victory in October of 2006.
LAST MEETING WITH NORTH CAROLINA: The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels shutout No. 10 Old Dominion on October 27, 2007, as the Lady Monarchs played its final regular season home game ever at Foreman Field. The Tar Heels were led by Rachel Dawson with two goals, including a stroke, and Alli Tanner scoring the game-winner. Old Dominion was outshot, 24-3, and outcornered, 11-2. Kelly Driscoll made 13 saves in goal for the Lady Monarchs, tying her then-career mark. North Carolina's Brianna O'Donnell started the game, while Jackie Kintzer took over the cage for the 16:30 of play.
ABOUT DUKE: The Blue Devils enter this weekend with a record of 4-2 and will take on Ohio State Saturday before meeting the Lady Monarchs Sunday afternoon. Duke has already played a pair of ODU's fellow CAA schools, recording a 2-0 win over Delaware and a 4-1 victory against Drexel. The two Blue Devils losses were a 1-0 setback to Louisville and a 4-1 loss at the hands of ACC rival Wake Forest. Sophomore forward Susan Ferger leads the Blue Devils with three goals. Junior forward Amie Survilla, freshman forward Megan Deakins, and sophomore midfielder Casey Beyel all have a pair of goals under their belts. Sophomore Samantha Nelson in goal is posting a 1.71 goals against average and .600 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH DUKE: ODU holds an 18-8 series lead, which includes splitting last year's home-and-home series. Old Dominion won in double overtime in Durham, 4-3, in September, but fell 4-1 to the Blue Devils in Norfolk.
LAST MEETING WITH DUKE: The Old Dominion field hockey team fell to No. 11/13 Duke, 4-1, back on October 14, 2007 Sunday afternoon at Foreman Field. Duke struck first on a penalty corner as Lauren Miller hit a direct shot into the ODU cage in the game's 17th minute. Five minutes later however, the Lady Monarchs managed to tie the score. In the game's 22nd minute of action, Katie Ueberroth ran through the middle of the circle from the right side and passed off to the left post for Loran Hatch's sixth goal of the season. Two minutes later the Blue Devils scored again and took a 2-1 lead into the half. Marian Dickinson, on the first of her two goals, inserted the ball on a penalty corner to Brooke Patterson on the stick stop. Patterson passed back to Dickinson on the left post to tip in the ball. Dickinson's first goal would be the eventual game-winner. Duke scored two more times in the second half while keeping the Lady Monarchs scoreless. Amie Survilla evaded the ODU defense in the 46th minute as she weaved her way through the middle of the cirlce before firing off a shot on the left side. Dickinson put away her second goal in an identical play to her first tally in the 54th minute. Old Dominion was outshot, 15-6, while both teams were awarded six penalty corners apiece. Netminder Kelly Driscoll made six saves while Caitlin Williams made five stops in the victory for the Blue Devils.
IN THE POLLS: Old Dominion dropped out of the NFHCA Top 20 Poll this week, but is receiving votes. Eight Lady Monarchs are currently ranked in the poll's Top 20 with two more opponents receiving votes. Six members of this week's Top 10 grace the ODU schedule including No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Syracuse, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 7 James Madison, No. 8 Virginia, and No. 9 Duke.
NEARING THE HALF CENTURY MARK: Head coach Beth Anders enters this weekend's games with a 493-96-7 overall record, needing just seven victories to become the first Division I coach and second field hockey coach overall to reach the 500 win milestone.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Lady Monarchs' road swing continues next weekend with a pair of games in Boston, Massachusetts. Old Dominion takes on Boston University on September 27, at noon and Northeastern, in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opener on September 28, at 2 P.M.