Nov. 9, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Old Dominion field hockey team's hopes for the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Tournament were dashed Sunday afternoon, as the third-seeded Lady Monarchs fell, 1-0, to top-seeded James Madison in the CAA Tournament championship game Sunday afternoon at the National Training Center.
The Lady Monarchs finish the season at 10-13 overall. Old Dominion had made an appearance in every NCAA Tournament since the tournament's inception in 1981.
Senior goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.), who was one of three Lady Monarchs named to the All-Tournament Team, recorded a career-high 14 saves in the loss.
Joining Driscoll on the All-Tournament Team were senior Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.) and freshman Rachel Stream (Poolesville, Md.). Smither, a two-time First Team All-CAA selection, ends her four-year Lady Monarch career with 24 goals, 12 assists, and 60 points.
James Madison, nationally ranked at No. 4 by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), defeated the Lady Monarchs by a 1-0 score in the championship game for the third straight year. The Dukes' Lauren Walls connected on a rebound after Driscoll had stopped a shot by Delores de Rooij at the ODU cage in the game's 47th minute.
Driscoll helped keep the game within reach for the Lady Monarchs thwarting a James Madison insurance goal. Driscoll batted away a penalty stroke attempt by the Dukes' Melissa Walls.
Old Dominion played with an extra field player the final 6:08 of the contest. Although James Madison did not add any goals with the open goal, the Lady Monarchs were unable to convert either.
The Lady Monarchs were outshot, 20-7, and the Dukes held a 4-3 edge in penalty corners.
The 16-team NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Tuesday, November 11th and streamed online via NCAA.com. The selection show will air at 8 p.m.