Maryland Rallies Late to Top No. 2 Duke in ACC Field Hockey Championship
Semis

 

COLLEGE PARK, Md. â?" Maryland freshman Susie Rowe scored a pair of goals with
less than seven minutes to play as the third-ranked and second-seeded Terrapins
rallied to top second-ranked and third-seeded Duke, 4-3, in the second semifinal
match of the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship on Friday.

 

Rowe scored what would prove to be the game-winner with just 1:47 left in the
contest, driving home a shot from the top of the circle. Rowe had tied the game
just moments earlier, when she converted a shot off a Terrapin corner in the
64th minute. Emily Beach picked up an assist on the play, as she faked a shot
off the stick stop, but slid the ball over to Rowe, who scored it to even the
score at 3-3.

 

The Blue Devils (15-4) had broken through for their first lead of the evening in
the 57th minute, when Nicole Dudek powered home a shot off a penalty corner. ACC
Offensive Player of the Year Katie Grant pushed the ball in, and Marian
Dickinson took the stop, setting up Dudekâ?Ts strike.

 

Maryland (18-2) drew first blood in the contest, with ACC Defensive Player of
the Year Paula Infante converting a pass from Sarah Scholl at the 8:46 mark.
Infante and Scholl worked the give-and-go to perfection, with Infante starting
the play from the middle of the field and sending the ball to Scholl on the
right side. Scholl immediately found Infante in the middle of the circle, and
Infante drilled a shot into the lower left corner of the goal to put the
homestanding Terrapins on top early.

 

Duke countered in the 18th minute, when Grant scored an unassisted goal to even
the score. Grant pushed the ball up the right side and through the Maryland
defense, sending a laser into the lower left corner of the goal.

 

Maryland regained the lead just minutes later, as Jackie Ciconte put away a
rebound in the circle at the 23:19 mark. But Duke responded just 20 seconds
later, as Grant notched her second goal of the contest with another shot from
the right side that went in lower left.

 

Duke had an outstanding scoring chance thwarted with about 25 minutes to play,
when Julie Trompâ?Ts shot off a penalty corner was saved and cleared. Maryland
keeper Kathryn Masson made the initial stop, and Beach swatted away the loose
ball in mid-air to preserve what was then a 2-2 tie.

 

Maryland held a 14-8 advantage in shots in the contest, while penalty corners
were even at three apiece. Duke goalkeeper Christy Morgan made four saves, while
Masson saved three shots.

 

Maryland advances to face No. 1 seed and top-ranked Wake Forest in the ACC Field
Hockey Championship final on Sunday. The game is slated for a noon start, and
will be televised on FSN South, FSN Florida and Comcast SportsNet. Maryland will
be seeking its sixth ACC title, and first since 2001, while Wake Forest will be
trying for its third title, and first since 2003.