No. 2 Virginia Holds on to Defeat No. 3 Duke, 9-8

Story Links

May 17, 1999

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Cavaliers advanced to their third NCAA women’slacrosse championship game in the last four years behind a total teameffort to hold off ACC-rival and third-ranked Duke 9-8 tonight inBaltimore. Virginia’s Frances Segarra (Coto Laurel, P.R./Glen Mills (Pa.))notched a career-high 17 saves to stem the high-scoring Blue Devil attack.Segarra’s 17 saves ranks as the sixth-highest total number of saves in thechampionship weekend in the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers’ Samm Taylor(Springfield, Va./Robinson) scored two goals and added an assist to leadthe Cavaliers in scoring, and Jamie Haas (Berwyn, Pa./Marple Newtown)scored, setting a new record by scoring in her 17th consecutive game in1999. Her goal also tied her with former Cavalier great Dawn Wisniewskiwith her 37th goal in her second season of play.

Virginia scored two minutes into play after breaking a Duke clearand Jessica Hull (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) raced in from the 30 to put theCavaliers on board. Duke tied the score 2:30 later as Claire Finn bounced ashot into the cage. Gina Sambus (Garden City, N.Y.) put the Cavaliers aheadby one again after she drove the crease two minutes later. The Blue Devilsagain tied the score as Tricia Martin drove the crease seven minutes later.

The Cavaliers scored two goals in a span of 1:32 as Sambusconverted an eight-meter at 14:21 and Taylor fed a streaking Hull at 12:49,forcing the Blue Devils to take a timeout. Hull’s assist was her 100thpoint of her career. Virginia went up by three at 9:12 as Taylor hit aquickstick goal from Mia Mooney (Rosemont, Pa./Shipley). But Duke strucklast before halftime at 6:37 as Kate Kaiser scored on a great individualeffort to cut the deficit to 5-3 at halftime.

Duke scored the opening two goals of the second half in the opening2:31 as Kate Soulier scored 29 seconds into the period and Martin fed KellyDirks two minutes later to tie the score.

Virginia went ahead again to stay as Taylor scored on an outsideshot one minute after Dirk’s goal. Virginia took a two-goal lead halfwaythrough the period as Kelly Allenbach (West Chester, Pa./W. C. Henderson)converted a fast-break opportunity along with Mooney. But less than aminute later Kaiser scored on a free position after Duke controlled thedraw and challenged the crease, cutting the deficit to one.

Again Virginia went up by two as Haas scored the record-settinggoal on a drive to the crease at 12:46, but again Duke answered right backas Martin scored just over a minute later to pull the Blue Devils withinone.

But with just under six minutes to go, Amy Fromal (Folsom,Pa./Ridley) intercepted a Duke clear and raced to the cage from the 30,giving the Cavaliers the eventual game-winning goal.

With 4:21 remaining, Taylor rolled the crease and fired a shot intothe cage, but she was given a yellow card for a dangerous follow-through,negating the goal and giving possession to the Blue Devils. Duke took theball down to the other end where Claire Sullivan scored off a save of aMartin shot, bringing the Blue Devils within one with 3:41 to play.

Virginia gained possession of the final draw, and was able tomaintain possession for the next two minutes. But the Cavaliers lostpossession with just over a minute to play and worked the ball downfield inthe hands of Tricia Martin, who challenged Stephy Samaras (Annapolis,Md./Annapolis) at the 15. Samaras caused Martin to turn the ball over andpicked up the loose ball. The Cavaliers maintained possession for the lastminute and advanced to the final game for the second consecutive year,where they will again face Maryland for the title.

Virginia’s Allenbach had a game-high five ground balls to lead bothteams while Melissa Hayes (Chevy Chase, Md./Georgetown Visitation), Fromal,and Samaras each had two caused turnovers. Haas led all players with fourdraw controls.

Virginia will play in its record 21st game on Sunday. The Cavaliersare 2-2 all-time in championship finals, defeating Maryland in 1991 andPrinceton in 1993 before losing to Maryland in both 1996 and 1998.

VIRGINIA-DUKE GAME SUMMARY

                1   2  Final (Records)Duke (#3)       3   5    8     (13-5)Virginia (#2)   5   4    9     (15-5)

Goals: (V): Hull 2, Sambus 2, Taylor 2, Fromal, Allenbach, Haas (D): Martin 2, Kaiser 2, Finn, Dirks, Sullivan, Soulier

Assists: (V): Mooney 2, Taylor (D): Martin

Shots: V: 30, D: 29

Ground balls: V: 26, D: 33

Caused turnovers: V: 10, D: 8

Turnovers: V: 16, D: 16

Draws: V: 12, D: 7

Fouls: V: 20, D: 12

Clearing: V: 14-16, D: 10-17

Free position attempts: V:8, D: 10

Saves: V: 17 (Segarra 17), D: 14 (Chaney 14)