NORFOLK, Va. – The 15th-ranked Old Dominion field hockey team will put its three-game winning streak to the test this weekend, as the Lady Monarchs travel to North Carolina to take on No. 8 Wake Forest and No. 7 Duke.
ODU will face the Demon Deacons first on Friday, Sept. 18 at 6:00 p.m. in Winston-Salem, before traveling to Durham to take on the Blue Devils on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 p.m.
Old Dominion has won three-consecutive games, taking down then No. 19 Michigan State, Kent State and most recently William & Mary. With the win over the Tribe, head coach Andrew Griffiths won his 100th game as a head coach and holds a 100-63 overall record.
Senior midfielder Sarah Breen led the attack with her first hat trick of the season to lead the lady Monarchs to a 5-2 win over the Tribe. Freshman Chrissy Horn assisted two of Breen's goals, to post her second two assist outing of the season. For her efforts, she was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week.
Breen leads the team with 15 total points on seven goals and one assist and is currently just four points away from reach 100 career points. She ranks second in the conference and third in the nation in goals per game (1.40), while also ranking second in the league and fourth in the country in points per game (3.00). Seven different players have scored at least one goal for ODU, while eight players have dished out an assist. Horn leads the team with four assists on the season and ranks second in the BIG EAST and 15th in the nation in assists per game (0.80). Freshman Kealsie Robles has won three-straight games in goal for ODU and has recorded a 1.63 goals-against average, ranking 22nd in the nation, and has posted one shutout.
Wake Forest enters the matchup with Old Dominion with a 5-1 overall record. Last weekend, the Demon Deacons went 2-0 and defeated then No. 4 Duke (2-1) on the road and followed with a win over Richmond (6-1) at home. Shannon Eby and Maddie Julius both scored for the Demon Deacons off of penalty corners in the second half to secure the win against Duke. Against Richmond, Jess Newak paced the offense with one goal and three assists to lead the team to the 6-1 victory. Valarie Dahmen played all 140 minutes in goal for Wake Forest and finished the weekend with seven saves and allowed just two goals.
Newak leads the team with 12 points on four goals and four assists, while Julie Grashoff is the only other player to reach double-digit points with 11 (4g, 3a). Dahmen has played the majority of time in goal for Wake Forest and has accumulated 33 saves and a 1.02 goals-against average. She currently leads the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in saves and save percentage (.846) and ranks third in the conference in GAA.
After falling to Wake Forest on Friday, Duke rebounded to take down William & Mary by a 6-1 margin. Hunter Bracale was the only Blue Devil to score against Wake Forest, while Ashley Kristen picked up her fifth assist of the season. Heather Morris led the offense against the Tribe, scoring three goals, while Kristen posted three more assists. Lauren Blazing played the most time in goal for Duke and finished the weekend with seven saves.
Kristen has notched 14 points on three goals and eight assists to lead the nation (1.33apg), while Morris ranks second with nine points (4g, 1a). Blazing has started in all six games for the Blue Devils and has posted 32 saves, a .780 save percentage and a 1.45 goals-against average. She sits right behind Dahmen in saves in the ACC (second) and ranks fifth in both goals-against and save percentage.
Follow Old Dominion Field Hockey on Twitter at twitter.com/ODUFieldHockey and find them on Facebook at facebook.com/ODUFH.
ODU vs. Wake Forest (Sept. 18, 6:00 PM)
Live Stats
Video
First Meeting: 1997
Last Meeting: 2014
Streak: WF +2
Last WF Win: 2014, W, 5-4 in overtime
Last ODU Win: 2001, W, 3-2
Series History: ODU leads, 3-2
ODU vs. Duke (Sept. 20, 1:00 PM)
Live Stats
Video
First Meeting: 1980
Last Meeting: 2014
Streak: Duke +1
Last Duke Win: 2014, W, 1-0
Last ODU Win: 2012, W, 3-2
Series History: ODU leads 24-15