Sept. 10, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio. - The second-ranked Old Dominion field hockey team improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1997 as the Lady Monarchs jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Syracuse Saturday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio.
The win marks the third consecutive game in which Old Dominion has knocked off a Top 5 opponent and all of ODU's wins this season have come against Top 10 teams.
The last time the Lady Monarchs started the year with five consecutive wins was the 1997 season in which Old Dominion went 10-0 to begin the year and reached the NCAA Championship game.
The Lady Monarchs wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as freshman Lydia Velzian received a pass from junior Maartje van Rijswijk on the right side and scored from directly in front of the cage.
Less than four minutes later, freshman Kelsey Smither blasted a shot and two-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week Emma Batten deflected the ball past the keeper to put ODU up 2-0 at the 7:11 mark. Batten now has a team-high 15 points and seven goals on the year.
Syracuse was awarded a penalty stroke with just seven seconds remaining in the opening stanza and Martina Loncarica converted to cut ODU's lead to 2-1 entering halftime. The Loncarica tally is the first goal the Lady Monarchs have given up in the first half of any game this season.
Old Dominion's defense was rock solid in the second half, allowing just four Orange shots in the frame. Syracuse was only able to get one of those shots on goal as Kelsey Millman attempted to tie the contest at the 50:16 mark, but Julie Hodge posted a defensive save to preserve ODU's lead and the victory.
The Lady Monarchs outshot Syracuse 10-6 overall and earned four penalty corners to SU's two.
ODU will be back in action Sunday against Ohio State. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
-ODU-