No. 16 Women’s Lacrosse Faces No. 9 North Carolina and No. 2 Maryland In Big Ten/ACC Challenge – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
March 26, 2003
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 16th-ranked Ohio State (6-1, 2-0 American Lacrosse Conference) women’s lacrosse squad will host the Big Ten/ACC Challenge this week. In the first day of competition, Fri., March 28, second ranked Maryland (8-0) will face 11th-ranked Penn State (4-3) at 5 p.m. The Buckeyes will then face ninth-ranked North Carolina (3-4) at 7 p.m. In the second day of action, Sun., March 30, Penn State will play North Carolina at noon with Ohio State hosting Maryland at 2 p.m.
DONATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE AIKENS CHILDREN TRUST FUND SUNDAY AT BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
Loyola coach Diane Geppi-Aikens has been fighting a recurring brain tumor since 1995. She continues to beat the odds with aggressive treatments. “For somebody to be in a position where you know you’re going to die, but yet you’re not in pain and you can still enjoy your kids, you’ve go to think that’s a positive. You do think about the World Trade Center. How many people walked in there and wanted one minute back? I get those minutes every day and I’m very fortunate,” said Geppi-Aikens. Being a single mother with four children, a trust fund has been set up for Diane’s four children and anyone wishing to make donations to the fund will be able to do so at the entrance gate of Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Sunday at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Donations may also be sent to: Mr. John A. Deppi, Jr., 1363 Deanwood Rd., Baltimore, Md. 21234-6003. Please make checks payable to: The Aikens Children Trust Fund. A website at http://www.caringbridge.org/md/aikens/ has been set up to keep people updated on Diane’s condition. OLIVER NAMED ALC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The American Lacrosse Conference announced today that Buckeye midfielder Regina Oliver (So., Pottstown, Pa.) has been named the ALC Player of the Week. Oliver helped 17th-ranked OSU (5-1 overall, 2-0 ALC) to a 14-4 road victory over 20th-ranked Northwestern (5-1, 1-1). She scored three first half goals in OSU’s win over the previously undefeated Wildcats. Oliver contributed three ground balls, three caused turnovers and four draw controls against Northwestern. For Ohio State, she is the team leader in goals (12), ground balls (31), draw controls (17), caused turnovers (24) and is second in assists (5). She also was selected as an honorable mention player of the week by womenslacrosse.com.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes, coached by Sue Stimmel, are 6-1 overall record and 2-0 in the American Lacrosse Conference. OSU is ranked 16th in the IWLCA poll this week. In home contests last week, Ohio State, on the road earlier this week defeated No. 20 Northwestern, 14-4 and upset No. 14 Notre Dame, 12-9. Regina Oliver (So., Pottstown, Pa.) is OSU’s top goal scorer with 16. Shannon Wilson (Sr., Sherkston, Ontario) is second with 12 and Tracey Bounds (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.) third with 11. Wilson has a team-high six assists with Oliver second with five. Oliver has team-highs in ground balls with 33, caused turnovers with 25 and draw controls with 19. In goal, Erin Forquer is 6-0 with a 5.27 goals against average and a .603 saves percentage.
A LOOK AT NORTH CAROLINA
The ninth-ranked Tar Heels are coached by Jenny Slingluff Levy. North Carolina is 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the ACC. They are coming off a 7-6 home loss to fifth-ranked Virginia. Beth Ames leads the team in goals with 13. Allison Higgins is second with 10. Stephanie Scurachio, Melissa McCarthy and Brooke Young share team-high honors in assists with seven. Ames leads the team in ground balls with 27. Young is second in ground balls with 25 and is tied with Scurachio in draw controls with 14. Higgins has a team-high 14 caused turnovers. In goal, Margaret Garofalo has started five games and has a 10.17 goals against average and a .371 saves percentage. Katelyn Hoffman has started twice and played in five games. She has a 5.05 goals against average and a .500 saves percentage.
THE SERIES WITH NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina has won all five meetings with Ohio State. The series began in 1998, a 15-5 Tar Heel win at Johns Hopkins. The 19-5 win in 1999 was played in Baltimore, Md. North Carolina won 13-4 at home in 2000. At Penn State in 2001 the score was 18-6. Last year, at Maryland, North Carolina won 12-7.
A LOOK AT MARYLAND
The second-ranked Terrapins are coached by Cindy Timchal. Maryland is 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC. The Terrapins won road victories at Dartmouth (9-2) and at Old Dominion (16-5) last week. Kelly Coppedge has a team-high 24 goals with Sonia Judd second with 16. Judd leads the team in assists with 13 with Acacia Walker second with 11. Delia Cox has a team-high 24 ground balls with Coppedge ranking first in caused turnovers. Walker is the team leader in draw controls with 18. Alexis Venechanos has started all eight games and has a 5.84 goals against average and a .593 saves percentage.
THE SERIES WITH MARYLAND
The Ohio State-Maryland series with tied, 1-1. The Terrapins won the first meeting, 19-2, in 2001 that was played at Penn State. In 2002, playing at Maryland, Ohio State upset the seventh-ranked Terrapins, 12-11.
A LOOK AT PENN STATE
The 11th-ranked Nittany Lions are coached by Suzanne Isidor. Penn State is 4-3 overall and 2-0 in the ALC. They defeated Temple, 13-7 on Tuesday. Prior to the Temple game, Colleen O’Hara and Katie Jeschke shared team-high honors with 13 goals each. O’Hara and Emily Chambers each had a team-high six assists. Stephanie Curnoles has a team-high 19 ground balls while Chambers has a team-high 15 draw controls. Curnoles has a team-high seven caused turnovers. In goal, Lee Tortorelli has played six matches and has a 9.50 goals against average and a .537 saves percentage.
HISTORY OF THE BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
This marks the third year of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The event was first held in 2001 at Penn State. Maryland defeated Ohio State, 19-2, and Penn State 14-8. North Carolina defeated Penn State, 19-9, and Ohio State 18-6. Last season the Challenge was played at Maryland with North Carolina defeated Ohio State, 12-7, and Penn State, 15-7. Maryland defeated Penn State , 13-11, and was upset by Ohio State, 12-11. Team records for the Challenge have North Carolina at 4-0 and Maryland at 3-1. Ohio State is 1-3 and Penn State is 0-4.
OSU EQUALS LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Ohio State’s 12-9 victory at Notre Dame was the sixth consecutive win for the Buckeyes after a season opening loss to Stanford. The six wins equals the longest winning streak in the history of Ohio State women’s lacrosse that was set in 2002. In that season, the Buckeyes won its first six games of the season before falling to fifth-ranked North Carolina, 12-7. As it turns out, OSU next opponent is ninth-ranked North Carolina at home.
BOUNDS MOVES TO SECOND IN CAREER POINTS
With five points in the last two games, Tracey Bounds has moved to second on the OSU career points list. Her three goals at Northwestern moved her into a second place tie with Celeste Cianfrani (1998-200) and her goal and an assist at Notre Dame gave her 140 points (95 goals, 45 assists) and moved her into second place. Bounds is third on the team in scoring with 15 points (11 goals and four assists).
OLIVER SCORES EARLY, OFTEN
In the last two games, Regina Oliver has scored seven goals for the Buckeyes. All seven have come in the first half of play. Oliver had three goals at Northwestern and added four against Notre Dame. The American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week for her play at Northwestern, Oliver has team highs of 16 goals, 21 points, 33 ground balls, 19 draw controls, 25 caused turnovers and is second in assists with five. She is the statistical leader in ground balls (5.17 per game) and caused turnovers (4.00 per game) in the ALC.
FORQUER WINS SIX CONSECUTIVE GAME DESPITE ILLNESS
With nine saves against Notre Dame, OSU goalie Erin Forquer picked up her sixth win in six starts this season. Despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last summer, Forquer has a 5.27 goals against average and a .603 saves percentage and leads the American Lacrosse Conference in both categories. A starter in all 16 (11-5 record) games last season, she now has 17 career wins.
WILSON NOW FIFTH IN CAREER POINTS
A five-point (one goal, four assists) output at Northwestern has moved Shannon Wilson to fifth on the OSU career points list. With a goal against Notre Dame, Wilson has 123 points (82 goals, 41 assists) and has passed Laurie Rybak (1996-99) for fifth place. Wilson’s 82 goals ranks seventh on the OSU career goals list. She only needs six goals to move to third. Before her is No. 3 Erin Andersen (1998-01) with 83, Mara Simpson (1996-99) with 84, Lauren Cochran (1999-02) with 86 and Celeste Cianfrani (1998-01) with 87.
OSU RANKED 16TH IN IWLCA POLL
The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association has ranked Ohio State 16th in the poll released this week. OSU moved up one spot after a 14-4 victory over undefeated and 20th-ranked Northwestern. OSU received 43 points in the poll. Loyola holds down the top spot in the poll.
MIRICK MOVES FROM PLAYER TO COACH
Megan Mirick has ended her playing career with Ohio State, but has moved to the role of assistant coach for the Buckeyes. Mirick ended her four-year career with 143 goals and 182 points, both Ohio State career records. She held the career goals record from the 2001 season and set the career points record in 2003.
HEAD COACH SUE STIMMEL
Sue Stimmel is in her eighth season as the head coach for the Ohio State women’s lacrosse team. A 1984 graduate of Temple University, Stimmel is the only coach that the Buckeye program has had. She spent six years has the head coach of Denison prior to coming to Ohio State. Stimmel is 60-47 at Ohio State and is 136-65 in her 14-year career. The 2002 season was her most successful with a program-high 11 wins and finishing the regular season ranked 12th nationally.
UPCOMING FOR THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State will play four of six games on the road in the month of April beginning with an April 6 contest at Davidson.
