Oct. 30, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. -The Old Dominion field hockey team will wrap up its regular season at home this weekend against No. 2 North Carolina and Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary. The Lady Monarchs will welcome the Tar Heels on Saturday for the annual scholarship game. Tickets are $5 with the proceeds benefiting the ODU Intercollegiate Foundation for Field Hockey. ODU students can still get in free with a valid ID. Sunday's matchup with the Tribe will be critical as the Lady Monarchs are fighting for one of the four spots in the CAA Tournament which will be held Nov. 7-8. Both games this weekend will get underway at 1 p.m. at the Powhatan Sports Complex.
GAME NOTES
LAST WEEKEND FOR ODU:
The Lady Monarchs (8-10, 4-3) won both conference matches on the road last week, blanking VCU 3-0 and besting No. 9 James Madison 2-1. Senior goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll allowed just one goal in 140 minutes of action. On Friday, she tallied five saves and recorded her 25th career shutout in the Lady Monarchs' win at VCU. Driscoll followed that up with a four-save performance against the Dukes. Amanda Bieber scored the game-winning goal at JMU with just 5:36 to play. Kathleen Shea scored twice in the VCU victory, while Katie Ueberroth had a goal and an assist over the weekend. Sunday's win was the second against a top-10 opponent this season and the third over a top-15 foe for ODU.
LONG TIME FOES:
Old Dominion has been battling both UNC and William & Mary since the 1970's. In a series dating back to 1974, ODU holds a 38-12 all-time record against the Tribe. In a much closer series against the Tar Heels, the Lady Monarchs hold a narrow 33-32-1 edge.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA:
The Tar Heels enter this weekend's play with a 15-1 record after falling to Top-ranked Maryland last Saturday. The Terrapins scored twice in the span of a minute in the first half and went on to a 4-1 victory over host UNC. The Tar Heels, who had allowed a total of four goals in the season's first 15 games and had not given up more than one goal to any opponent, were unable to stay flawless. Melanie Brill paces the Tar Heels with 39 points on 17 goals and five assists. The game against UNC will be ODU's ninth against a Top 10 opponent this season.
A LOOK AT THE TRIBE:
William & Mary enters this weekend with a 6-11 overall mark and a 2-5 record in CAA play. The Tribe went 1-1 in league play last week, losing at No. 9 James Madison 2-1, before defeating VCU 3-2 in Richmond. Sophomore forward Leah Zamesnik scored a pair of goals in Sunday's win at VCU, including the game winner in the 59th minute. She leads the Tribe with five goals and four assists this year. Freshman midfielder Maria Caro tallied her first-career assist in Friday's loss to the Dukes, getting the ball to Rebecca Wagner for a tip-in goal. Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Carrie Thompson went the distance in the cage in both games for the Tribe, totaling 19 saves, including a career-high 15 saves against JMU.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Senior goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll allowed just one goal in 140 minutes of action as ODU posted a pair of conference victories on the road last week. On Friday, she tallied five saves and recorded her 25th career shutout in the Lady Monarchs' 3-0 win at VCU. The West Chester, Pa., native followed that up on Sunday with a four-save performance in a 2-1 triumph at 9th-ranked James Madison.
UEBERROTH DISHING IT OUT:
Senior Katie Ueberroth has a league-leading 11 assists this season, tied with James Madison's Vivien Konijnendijk. Ueberroth has dished out three assists in a game twice this season, including against No. 1 Maryland on October 16.