Oct. 25, 2008
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion field hockey team dropped its fifth straight contest after suffering a 3-0 loss to No. 7 and Colonial Athletic Association leader James Madison at the Powhatan Sports Complex Saturday.
The loss drops the Lady Monarchs to 6-11 overall and 4-2 in the CAA. James Madison, winners in 12 of their last 13 contests, improves to 14-2 overall and 6-0 in league action.
Melissa Stefaniak was the first of three Dukes to score on the afternoon. Stefaniak gave James Madison a 1-0 lead in the game's 19th minute after collecting her own rebound following a save by Old Dominion netminder Kelly Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.). The goal was Stefaniak's ninth of the season and her third game-winner of the year.
The Dukes would add two more tallies in the second half. Dolores de Rooij used a hard blast from the top right of the circle to find her way into the Lady Monarch cage at the 43rd minute mark and then six minutes later Ashley Walls put James Madison up 3-0. Walls dribbled toward the Old Dominion goal and fired away. Her shot hit Driscoll and then rolled into the goal for the score, her team-leading 13th of the year.
Old Dominion was outshot 19-3. All three Lady Monarch shot were taken by senior Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.). On corners, Old Dominion held the advantage, 7-6, but was unable to capitalized.
In goal, Driscoll made 10 stops bringing her season total to 115 on the year. Kathleen Shea (Elizaville, N.Y.) also recorded a defensive save for the Lady Monarchs. James Madison's Kelsey Cutchins needed to make just two saves to preserve the shutout, her seventh of the season.
The Old Dominion field hockey team will look to rebound tomorrow when they take on Virginia Commonwealth. Game time is 1:00 p.m. at the Powhatan Sports Complex.