Nov. 6, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The Old Dominion field hockey team advanced to the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament as the third-seeded Lady Monarchs downed sixth-seeded Towson, 5-1, at the National Training Center on Thursday night.
The Lady Monarchs, who improved to 9-12 overall, will take on second-seeded Drexel in Saturday's semifinal. Game-time is 2:30 p.m.
Old Dominion raced out to a 3-0 halftime lead and had scored a total of four unanswered goals a minute and a half into the second stanza. Five different Lady Monarchs scored in the victory.
Kathleen Shea (Elizaville, N.Y.) started the Old Dominion scoring barrage by putting the Lady Monarchs onto the board 18 minutes in the contest. Driving into the circle, Shea took a diving shot mid-circle as the Towson defense closed to put the Lady Monarchs up 1-0.
The Lady Monarchs didn't wait very long to go up 2-0. Nearly a minute and a half after Shea captured her goal, leading scorer Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.) converted a penalty stroke. It was Smither's team-leading 10th goal of the 2008 season.
Junior Alyschia Conn (Peach Bottom, Pa.) brought the score to 3-0. Smither collected her own rebound off a saved shot and lifted the ball over Towson keeper Whitney Clugston to the right post where Conn was waiting to find the back of the Tiger cage.
Scoring continued for Old Dominion a minute and a half into the second half. Freshman Rachel Stream (Poolesville, Md.) struck the ball on a penalty corner and although the ball didn't find its intended target, the ball came back to Stream, where she fired away to give the Lady Monarchs a 4-0 edge.
The Tigers had many looks at the ODU cage in the second half, including 14 second stanza shots, and managed to thwart the shutout in the game's 44th minute. Laura Schnell collected her own rebound for the lone Towson tally.
Sophomore Samantha Richardson (Vancover, Canada) rounded out the evening's scoring. While along the right post and in the midst of Towson defenders, Richardson found the gap to put Old Dominion up, 5-0.
Old Dominion outshot Towson, 24-16, while the Tigers held an 13-11 advantage in penalty corners.
In goal, senior netminder Kelly Driscoll (West Chester, Pa.) registered 11 saves, while her counterpart, Clugston, recorded 11 stops.
CAA Tournament action continues on Saturday with the semifinals. Fourth-seeded William & Mary, who defeated fifth-seeded Hofstra, 2-1, in Thursday night's other quarterfinal, will take on top-seeded James Madison at noon. Old Dominion, seeded third, will face second-seeded Drexel at 2:30 p.m.