Virginia Falls to Maryland in OT in ACC Title Game
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The third-ranked and third-seeded Virginia field hockey team fell to top-ranked and top-seeded Maryland 3-2 in overtime in the title game of the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Sunday at the Turf Field.
Virginia’s Paige Selenski, Inga Stöckel and Charlotte van den Broek were named to the all-tournament team.
“Congratulations to Maryland,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. “Both teams had a championship effort today.”
The league title is the second straight for the Terrapins and eighth overall. Maryland is 20-0 for the first time in school history and clinches the league’s automatic qualifying bid to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Virginia (18-3) opened with a 2-0 lead despite being outshot 10-9 and outcornered 5-4 in the first half.
Van den Broek, a freshman defender, scored her second goal in as many games to put the Cavaliers ahead, 1-0, in the 15th minute off a tip-in from the left post on a penalty corner. Stöckel, a sophomore, fed the pass to van den Broek for the assist.
In the 23rd minute, freshman midfielder Tara Puffenberger scored on a similar penalty corner tip-in, this time, from an assist by Michelle Vittese, to the right post to put Virginia up 2-0.
“We followed the game play to a T in the first half,” Madison continued. “In the second half we had lapses and Maryland was able gain the momentum and we had trouble breaking it.”
The Terrpains began to shift the tide in the 56th minute when three-time offensive player of the year, Katie O’Donnell, scored her 22nd goal of the season to cut the Cavalier lead to 2-1.
The Terps tied the score less than two minutes later when senior Nicole Muracco scored her league-leading 27th goal of the season to knot the game, 2-2.
Virginia was awarded a penalty corner that would be the last play of regulation as time expired. Van den Broek injected the ball to teammate Traci Ragukas, who set up Stöckel. Her shot was saved by Maryland’s Alicia Grater as the whistle blew to send the game into overtime, the ninth such championship game in ACC field hockey history.
Maryland freshman Megan Frazer scored the game-winner-her 12th score of the season-in the 72nd minute, a tip-in on a penalty corner. Emma Thomas was credited with the assist.
Maryland out-shot Virginia, 23-11, and won eight penalty corners, compared to Virginia’s five. Grater made five saves for the Terps in 72 minutes of action. Junior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk notched six saves for the Orange and Blue.
Virginia will await an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“It’s back to the drawing board,” Madison said. “You have to learn from this game, and we have so much to learn. We will learn those lessons and take them into the next game.”
2009 ACC All-Tournament Team
Chelsey Feole, Sr., M, Boston College
Lauren Miller, Sr., B, Duke
Megan Frazer, Fr., M, Maryland
Alicia Grater, Sr., GK, Maryland
Katie O’Donnell, Jr., F, Maryland
Emma Thomas, Sr., B, Maryland
Melanie Brill , Sr., B, North Carolina
Paige Selenski, So., M, Virginia
Inga Stöckel, So., M, Virginia
Charlotte van den Broek, Fr., B, Virginia
Aileen Davis, Sr., B, Wake Forest
Most Valuable Player: Katie O’Donnell, Maryland
2009 ACC Freshman of the Year: Kelsey Kolojejchick, North Carolina