Wake Forest University
Duke (ACC Championship)
Wake Forest Field Hockey Claims ACC Championship
11/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 9, 2003
Charlottesville, VA - The #1 Wake Forest Demon Deacon field hockey team battled #2 Duke University in the ACC Championship match on Sunday in Charlottesville. The Deacs defeated the Devils in an overtime match, 3-2, to claim the ACC Championship Title.
Wake Forest jumped on the board with a goal from Kelly Dostal just 1:54 into the match. Katie Ackerman recorded her second assist of the season on that goal. Katie Ridd had three incredible saves in the closing minutes of the first half to keep the score, 1-0 going into the break.
Chrissie Murphy answered for the Devils in the opening minutes of the second half with an unassisted goal on a penalty corner. She followed just four minutes later with her second goal of the game, to give Duke a 2-1 lead.
Freshman Lauren Crandall put the Deacs back in the game with her seventh goal of the season. The goal came off of a penalty corner from Claire Laubach, credited with her ninth assist on the year. Crandall's goal tied the game at two all, where the score remained until the end of regulation.
Kelly Dostal scored the game winning goal just minutes into the first overtime period, on a pass from Ariel Meyers to claim the ACC Championship Title for the Demon Deacons.
"We knew Duke was going to be tough," said head coach Jennifer Averill. "I'm proud of our girls for sticking with it and coming back to win this game."
In their first meeting of the season, the Deacs traveled to Durham to hand Duke their first loss of the season, 3-1. The Devils in turn defeated the Deacs, 1-0, in Winston-Salem. Duke is the only team to have beaten Wake Forest in the Deacons last 38 games.
Wake Forest, now 18-1 for the season, wins the ACC Title for the second year in a row, a first ever in school history. Seniors Lucy Shaw and Kelly Doton were named to the ACC All-Tournament team, as were Kelly Dostal and Ariel Meyers. Doton received the Most Valuable Player Award for the tournament.
The Deacs await Tuesday night's selection show to find out where they will be playing next weekend in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
