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April 24, 1999

The Virginia Cavaliers used a balanced scoring attack and an outstanding performance from Amy Fromal (Folsom, Pa./Ridley) to defeat the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils in the semifinals of the ACC tournament. Fromal scooped up eight ground balls, caused three turnovers, and notched five draw controls to lead the Cavaliers. Jamie Haas (Berwyn, Pa./Marple Newtown) also recorded her second consecutive hat trick to up her team-leading total to 29 goals.

Virginia got on the board in the first minute of play as Melissa Hayes (Chevy Chase, Md./Georgetown Visitation) caused a turnover in the Cavalier defensive end and the Hoos worked the ball up to Jessica Hull (Arnold, Md./Broadneck), who raced downfield up the right side and scored 57 seconds into the contest.

Duke tied the score as Kelly Dirks converted a free position six minutes later. But Virginia rattled off the next four goals over a 14-minute span to take a 5-1 lead. Hayes was also at the beginning of the second Virginia goal that put the Cavaliers up for good. She caused a turnover in the defensive end which started the Cavalier fast break. Although the Hoos did not convert the break, Gina Sambus (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) fed Haas on the crease to put the Hoos up 2-1 at 17:12. Haas assisted on the next goal by Mills Hook (Lutherville, Md./St. Paul’s) just over three minutes later, forcing the Blue Devils to take a time out.

But the Cavaliers responded by scoring a pair of goals in a 23-second span to take a 5-1 lead. Mia Mooney (Rosemont, Pa./Shipley) scored on a drive to the crease at 9:59 and on the ensuing draw, Kelly Allenbach (West Chester, Pa./W. C. Henderson) gained control and got the ball to Fromal after a foul. Fromal raced 45 yards and rocketed a shot in the upper left corner to give the Hoos a four-goal lead with 9:36 left in the first half.

Duke went on a mini-rally as they scored a pair of goals in two minutes to cut the deficit in half. Dirks converted her second 8-meter with just under 8 minutes to play in the period, and Amy Noble converted a feed from Francoise Gordon two minutes later to make the score 5-3.

The Cavaliers then scored two more goals in a two-minute span of their own as Haas converted a free position at 4:23 to push the margin back to three. Fromal then caused a turnover as the Blue Devils were attempting a clear and Hook fed Mooney who scored on an empty cage to put the Hoos up 7-3 with 2:49 to go in the period.

But the Blue Devils controlled the next draw and Tricia Martin hit a streaking Kate Kaiser 27 seconds later to cut the deficit to 7-4, which is how the half ended.

In the second half, Amy Noble converted an 8-meter threeminutes into the period to push the margin back down to two. The Cavaliers pushed the margin back up to three as Samm Taylor (Springfield, Va./Robinson) converted a quickstick from Hook at 23:04.

Duke again went on a mini-rally, scoring twice in just over a minute to pull within one. Amy Noble scored off a feed from Martin and 73 seconds later Courtney Rodgers took a feed from Kate Soulier and the Cavalier lead was cut to one at 8-7.

Virginia responded, however, as the Hoos scored a pair of goals in just over two minutes to go up by three again with 5:44 to go. Haas completed her hat trick as she was fed by Hull at 8:05 on the crease, and at 5:44, Hull drove to the crease and bounced a shot in for what would prove to be the game-winning goal.

Duke, however, was not done and with 1:07 on the clock Rodgers converted a feed from Martin to pull within two. Mooney controlled the ensuing draw but lost the ball on the far side and the Blue Devils were able to clear the ball to the arc where they drew a shooting space violation, which Kaiser converted with 32 seconds to play. Duke then controlled the next draw, but Rodgers’ shot with five seconds to go was saved by Francis Segarra (Coto Laurel, P.R./Glen Mills (Pa.)) to preserve the win for the Cavaliers. Segarra’s save was her tenth of the game.

Virginia will play in the ACC Championship tomorrow at 1:00 against the top-seeded and top-ranked Maryland Terrapins. They advanced to the title game with a 19-17 overtime defeat of the host Tar Heels. The 17 goals is the most given up by the Terrapins since 1976. This is Virginia’s third consecutive appearance in the ACC title game, the only school to do so in ACC history. The Cavaliers won the title in 1998 with a 9-7 defeat of top-seeded and top-ranked North Carolina. Today’s win was also the Cavaliers’ seventh win in a row.

                   1   2  FinalVirginia (#2)   7   3   10Duke     (#5)   4   5    9

Goals: V: Haas 3, Mooney 2, Hull 2, Hook, Fromal, Taylor. D: Noble 3, Rodgers 2, Dirks 2, Kaiser 2Assists: V: Hook 2, Haas, Hull, Sambus. D: Martin 3, Gordon, Soulier Shots: V: 34, D; 19Free position attempts: V: 5, D: 8Ground balls: V: 35, D:26Caused turnovers: V: 13, D: 8Turnovers: V: 16, D: 20Draw controls: V: 14, D: 4Fouls: V: 21, D: 11Saves: V; Segarra 10, D: Chaney 11Clearing: V: 15-17, D: 16-24

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