Sept. 10, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion field hockey team, ranked No. 9 in the latest NFHCA Poll, will make its first road trip of the season this weekend. The Lady Monarchs will travel to Syracuse, N.Y. to take on the Orange and Michigan State in consecutive days.
The Lady Monarchs will battle eighth-ranked Syracuse on Friday at 3 p.m. before taking on No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday at 2 p.m. Syracuse and Michigan State will be the third and fourth Top 10 teams ODU (2-2) has faced this season.
Old Dominion has dropped back-to-back contests after starting the year 2-0. The Lady Monarchs were defeated by No. 1 Maryland and No. 6 Virginia last weekend at home.
Leading the way for the Monarchs are sophomore Rachel Stream (3 goals) and junior Loran Hatch (1 goal, 4 assists) who each have six points on the season. Senior goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll enters the weekend with 18 saves and a 2.89 goals against average.
Syracuse and Old Dominion have met twice all-time, with both teams winning once. ODU defeated SU, 3-1, in Ann Arbor, Mich. in 2004. Syracuse returned the favor, taking home a 5-0 decision last year in Collegeville, Pa.
The Orange are 3-1 on the season after going 1-1 last weekend. SU defeated Ohio State, 3-2, in overtime on Sept. 4, but lost to Princeton by the identical score in overtime on Sept. 6. Junior forward Lindsey Conrad has recorded a team-best eight points off a team-high four goals. Freshman back Amy Kee has registered a team-best four assists. Freshman goalkeeper Leann Stiver has a goal-against-average of 1.78 in the cage for the Orange.
Michigan State (3-1) is coming off a weekend sweep of No. 14 American and Ohio University. The Spartans also topped CAA rival Delaware in their season opener on August 29.
The Lady Monarchs and Spartans are also tied 1-1 in their all-time series. The two squads have not met since ODU defeated then No. 2 Michigan State, 4-3, in overtime in 2002.
Last weekend, Michigan State was led by senior Floor Rijpma, who recorded a team-high nine points in the pair of Spartan victories. Rijpma was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.