STORRS, Conn. – After defeating No. 14 Louisville in the Big East Semifinal the No. 5 Old Dominion field hockey team will take on No. 7 UConn in Storrs for the Big East Championship Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m.
ODU finished off Louisville Friday night with their bread and butter- Defense first. The Lady Monarchs recorded their 8th shutout in their last 10 games. Nicole Goff tallied her first goal of the year and added an assist. ODU has won 12 straight games, which remains the longest active streak in the NCAA. During the winning streak Old Dominion has scored first in all 12 games they have played.
"Connecticut is an excellent team - they have been playing very well, and the score from the last game didn't reflect the flow of the game," said ODU head coach Andrew Griffiths. "They have a number of dangerous players, and I am sure they will be fired up and ready to play us again. We will be ready to go as well, and I am looking forward to a great game."
Big East Tournament Championship Sunday Preview:
No. 5 Lady Monarchs (13-6, 6-1) vs. No. 7 Connecticut (16-4, 6-1) Sunday 1:00 p.m.
Where: Storrs, Conn. George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex
Series Record: ODU Leads 24-10
Huskie Report: UConn defeated Temple for the second straight time after completing the regular season with a 7-0 victory. The Huskies advanced to their 12th consecutive Big East Tournament Final. In the Big East Semifinal the Huskies pulled away for a 3-0 win and outshot Temple 21-4. UConn received goals from Roisin Upton, Chloe Hunnable and Anne Jeute. Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Marie Elena Bolles added an assist. Huskie goalkeeper Sarah Mansfield made three saves.
ODU Report: Old Dominion finished off the Louisville Cardinals with a 2-0 win in the Big East Semifinals. Nicole Goff and Katy Fuhrman scored the goals in yesterday’s win. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Megan Hept and the Old Dominion defense have allowed an NCAA-low six goals during their 12-game win streak. Junior midfielder/back and first team All-Big East Kelsey Smither continues to provide the necessary spark with another assist on the first goal recorded yesterday.
UConn Players to Watch: Junior forward (#3) Marie Elena Bolles and junior forward (#9) Chloe Hunnable. Bolles and Hunnable tied for first in the Big East with 41 points.
Last Two Meetings: Oct. 25, 2013 – ODU pulled away with a 5-0 victory from the L.R. Hill Sports Complex. ODU’s Katy Fuhrman and Sarah Breen both scored twice and Teisha King added a goal to give the Lady Monarchs the win. Kelsey Smither added a season high three assists and Big East Offensive Player of the Year Rosario Villagra gave ODU three assists. UConn outshot ODU 14-9 and Old Dominion goalkeeper Megan Hept made 9 saves. Penalty corners were even at four apiece and shots on goal were 9-6 UConn.
Sept. 8, 2007 – ODU fell 3-2 to Connecticut from Norfolk. Titia Beek and Kathleen Shea each scored a goal to lead the Lady Monarchs. However, Huskie Lizzy Peijs’ goal in the second half lifted the Huskies to a victory.
GAME COVERAGE
Live stats of Sunday's game will be available at-
Live video of Sunday's Final can be seen by going to this site, clicking on Field Hockey and at 1 p.m. click Watch- http://www.uconnhuskies.com/multimedia/live-stats.html
Live in-game updates can be seen by going to- https://twitter.com/ODUFieldHockey