Wake Forest University
ACC Tournament
Field Hockey Tops Carolina in OT
11/2/2001 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 2, 2001
Chapel Hill, N.C. - The Wake Forest field hockey team defeated North Carolina in overtime tonight, 3-2, to advance to the finals of the 2001 ACC tournament. With the win, the Deacons improve to 14-3 on the season, while the Tar Heels fall to 14-6.
The first half had all the makings of a dramatic postseason game, as the tide shifted back and forth between the two squads. The Deacons were unable to convert on their three penalty corners, but two big saves from Katie Ridd, combined with solid defense, kept the Tar Heels off the board. Wake Forest managed 7 first half shots, but Carolina keeper Amy Tran turned away three of them and the Deacs were held scoreless.
The Deacons managed to get on the board first less than five minutes into the second half when Maria Whitehead's shot was deflected by a Tar Heel defender and senior forward Jennie Shelton collected the ball and fired it into the roof of the net from 12 yards out to put the Deacs on top, 1-0. At 25:39 of the second half, Wake Forest struck again, this time on a penalty corner. Junior Heather Aughinbaugh fed the ball into Whitehead who stopped it for sophomore Kelly Doton who drilled the ball, which bounced off a Carolina defender and into the top of the goal to give the Deacons a 2-0 lead. That score stood for nearly ten minutes, but with 15:50 to play in the game, North Carolina's Kerry Falgowski collected a rebound and found the goal to cut the Wake Forest lead in half. With just over five minutes remaining in the second half, North Carolina's Abby Martin scored off a penalty corner from Carey Fetting-Smith to tie the game at 2-2. Each defense held for the remainder of the half and the teams headed into overtime.
The 7-on-7 overtime period saw both teams go on the offensive, but it was a penalty corner with just over eight minutes remaining in the overtime period that decided it. Aughinbaugh passed the ball in to Whitehead who stopped it for sophomore Lucy Shaw. Shaw's shot was tipped by Co-ACC Player of the Year Jemima Cameron into the back of the net to give Wake Forest the 3-2 victory.
Ridd made three saves in the win, while Tran recorded eight. The Deacons outshot the Tar Heels, 19-9.
Wake Forest head coach Jennifer Averill was happy with her team's performance in the extra frame. "Overtime is scary and no team wants to go there," Averill said, "but I think we had an advantage because we're a team with a lot of skill and a lot of speed."
The Deacons will take on the winner of tonight's Maryland-Virginia game in the championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
