No. 15-Ranked Terriers To Face No. 2 Old Dominion
September 29, 2000 | Field Hockey
The field hockey team faces its biggest challenge of the season on Sep. 30 as it faces off with perennial power, No. 2 Old Dominion University at 12 noon on Nickerson Field. The Terriers are ranked No. 15 in the latest STX/NFHCA poll.
Two winning streaks will collide when the Terriers, winners of five straight, face off against the Lady Monarchs, who have won seven in a row. The Terriers are coming off a 5-1 win at Vermont on Wednesday, while ODU is fresh off a 9-0 win against American, also on Wednesday. In the Terriers' 5-1 win, senior forward Kate Cusick scored twice, including her fourth goal in three games, to lead the Terriers. Freshman Genna Clough, made her first collegiate game count, scoring her first collegiate goal to give B.U. a 4-0 lead in the second half.
Last season the Terriers nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback against the Lady Monarchs down in Norfolk, VA, rallying from 4-1 and 5-3 deficits to tie the score at 5-5, before a late goal by Marina Digiacomo gave ODU a 6-5 victory. The Terriers are 0-8 against ODU all-time.
TERRIER TIDBITS: B.U. is playing some of its best hockey of the season entering the contest, as evidenced by its winning streak, the longest since the team reeled off eight straight wins from October 3-23 last season. That winning streak began after the loss to ODU. The Terriers are 17-6 in September the last three seasons. The Terriers, who struggled to score earlier in the season, have begun to find thei mark. They have scored 12 goals in the last three games, allowing only four. Cusick has four goals in that span, Casey Holman three. Midfielder Kerry Carney has three assists, while senior co-captain Robyn Kenney has a goal and an assist.
Goalkeeper Susan Harrington, who has been steady all season for the Terriers, has posted a 1.33 goals against average in the past three games, identical to her goals against for the season. Harrington is 17th in the nation in goals against average. The third year keeper has posted a .797 save percentage and two shutouts, playing every minute this season for the Terriers.
B.U. has now won 14-straight conference games after the win over Vermont on Sept. 27.
The Terriers have allowed more than two goals only once this season. B.U. has outscored opponents 24-12 this season, 14-3 in the America East. The team holds a 68-53 advantage in penalty corners.
SCOUTING THE LADY MONARCHS: Old Dominion is led by the leading scorer in the country, senior midfielder Marina DiGiacomo, who has 23-11-57 in 10 games this season, 38.3 percent of the team's goal scoring output. For her career, she is 127-66-320. Sophomore forward Marjolijn van der Sommen has nearly eclipsed last year's freshman total of 24 points, by putting up 7-9-23 in 10 games already this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Marybeth Freeman has only been called upon to stop 31 shots in 10 games. She has posted a 1.16 goals against average and .738 save percentage this season, including six shutouts, two of which were shared with Tina Walker.
ODU's only loss of the season came at the hands of No. 1 Maryland, a 5-4 setback in double overtime on Sept. 3. The team has outscored its opponents 60-11 and has six shutouts.
ODU has a 4-1 record against nationally ranked teams this season: Penn State (4-3 W), North Carolina (1-0 W), William & Mary (3-0 W), Virginia (5-1 W) and Maryland.
The Lady Monarchs, who appeared in their 19th NCAA Tournament last season, are the only school to qualify for every NCAA field hockey tournament in history.
