Maryland Tops No 1 Wake Forest for 2005 ACC Field Hockey
Championship
Susie Rowe named Tournament MVP; Meharg wins 300th career
game

Box Score: http://umterps.collegesports.com/sports/w-
fieldh/stats/2005-2006/accgm-5.html

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In an Atlantic Coast Conference Field
Hockey Championship title game clash between the top two
seeds and two of the top three teams in the nation, neither
side disappointed as Maryland scored with just 44.1 seconds
left to take a 3-2 win over Wake Forest and claim the 2005
ACC Championship on Sunday afternoon before Field Hockey &
Lacrosse Complex-record crowd of 1,306.

Tournament MVP Susie Rowe (London, England) blasted home a
rebound with just seconds remaining to give the Terrapins
their sixth ACC title and first since 2001. After Maryland
drew a penalty corner with about a minute to play, Rowe, a
freshman, corralled junior Paula Infante's (Santiago, Chile)
blocked shot and scorched it home for the decisive score.

Rowe also scored twice in the final seven minutes against
Duke in the semifinals on Friday to rally Maryland to the
win in that game.

The championship contest was a thrilling back-and-forth
affair with several exciting moments and near-misses.
Maryland (19-2), ranked third in the nation and seeded
second in the tournament, jumped out to an early lead, with
sophomore Janneke van Leeuwen (Hilversum, Netherlands)
converting a Rowe pass at the 4:13 mark. The play started on
a penalty corner, with Rowe lining up to fake a shot at the
top of the circle. She then found van Leeuwen open in front
of the net, and van Leeuwen pounded the ball home from close
range to put the Terrapins up, 1-0.

No. 1 seed and top-ranked Wake Forest (19-1) had a couple of
promising scoring opportunities turned away after that.
About 10 minutes into the contest, the Demon Deacons' Tracey
Scott stole a Maryland pass in front of the net, and
attempted to poke it past Terrapin keeper Kathryn Masson.
Masson saved the shot, and Haley Scott's shot off the
rebound sailed wide.

The Deacons had another chance thwarted in the 25th minute,
when Christine Suggs put a shot on frame when Masson was
drawn out. Maryland's Kristina Edmonds stepped in front of
the shot, however, earning the defensive save and keeping
the Terps in the lead for the moment.

Masson made an outstanding save in the 26th minute, swiping
away Tracey Scott's slow-rolling attempt just before it
could cross the goal line. Wake's Maeke Boreel played a ball
from behind the midfield mark, finding a streaking Scott
alone in Maryland's half of the field. Scott drew Masson out
and was able to get a shot off, but Masson raced back to the
goal and made a diving stick save.

The Deacons finally broke through against Maryland's defense
in the 28th minute, with Suggs scoring off a penalty corner.
Suggs pushed the ball in to Boreel, who handled the stop and
slid the ball over to Lauren Crandall. Crandall then passed
the ball back to Suggs, who was all alone on the left side
in front of the goal and put it away to even the score.

The Terrapins went back on top just minutes later, as senior
Jackie Ciconte (Wilmington, Del.) put away a rebound in the
34th minute. After Infante's shot off a penalty corner was
blocked, Ciconte battled for possession in front of the
Deacon goal and was able to slap a shot home to put Maryland
back in front. The Terps led at the half, 2-1.

Wake Forest drew even again in the 51st minute, when
Crandall scored off a penalty corner. After Wake was awarded
the corner for a takedown just outside the circle, Suggs
pushed the ball in and Boreel handled the stick stop,
setting up Crandall's scoring strike.

Maryland had a pair of close-range shots saved with about 10
minutes to play, when Wake Forest keeper Kristina Gagliardi
stopped a pair of Ciconte attempts from just a few feet from
the goal. Gagliardi saved Ciconte's first attempt, but
Ciconte pounced on the rebound and reeled off another shot.
Gagliardi was again up to the challenge, this time saving
the shot from her back to keep the game tied at 2-2.

Maryland's Rowe, Infante and Lauren Powley and Wake Forest's
Crandall and Ariel Meyers and were named to the ACC
Championship All-Tournament Team. Rowe became just the third
freshman in league history to be named the tournament's MVP,
joining Maryland's Jessica Wilk in 1986 and North Carolina's
Judith Jonckheer in 1984. Suggs was named the ACC Freshman
of the Year during the postgame awards ceremony.

The win was the 300th of Maryland coach Missy Meharg's
career.

2005 ACC Field Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team

Katherine Blair, Virginia
Lauren Crandall, Wake Forest
Katie Grant, Duke
Paula Infante, Maryland
Bronwen Kelly, Boston College
Hilary Linton, Duke
Ariel Meyers, Wake Forest
Brooke Miller, North Carolina
Lauren Powley, Maryland
Susie Rowe, Maryland *
Katy Tran, North Carolina
* ACC Championship MVP
2005 ACC Freshman of the Year
Christine Suggs, Wake Forest


#2 Maryland (19-2)    2   1  -  3
#1 Wake Forest (19-1) 1   1  -  1

GOALS: MD, Janneke van Leeuwen (Susie Rowe), pc, 4:13;
Jackie Ciconte, 33:25; Susie Rowe, 69:19. WF, Christine
Suggs (Lauren Crandall), pc, 27:27; Lauren Crandall
(Christine Suggs, Maeke Boreel), pc, 50:14. SHOTS: MD 12, WF
19. PENALTY CORNERS: MD 4, WF 10. SAVES: MD, Kathryn Masson
8 (2 GA, 70:00); Kristina Gagliardi 5 (3 GA, 70:00).
ATTENDANCE: 1,306.