Women’s Lacrosse Faces Princeton In The NCAA Quarterfinals After 10-7 Upset Of No. 4 Seed Duke In The First Round – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
May 9, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 11th-ranked Ohio State (14-3, 5-1 American Lacrosse Conference Champion) women’s lacrosse squad upset No. 4 seed Duke, 10-7, in the first round of the NCAA Championship and now advances to quarterfinal action. OSU will face fifth-ranked and defending NCAA Champion Princeton (13-4) at 2 p.m., Sun., May 11 at Class of 1952 Stadium in Princeton, N.J.
OHIO STATE UPSETS NO. 4 SEED DUKE, 10-7, IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
With four first-half goals from Caroline Weatherill (Jr., Malvern, Pa.), Ohio State upset the fourth-seeded Blue Devils of Duke Thursday at Koskinen Stadium. Trailing, 3-1, the Buckeyes scored six straight goals to take a 7-3 lead. Leading 9-5, Ohio State gave up three goals to Duke to close the lead to 9-7. OSU closed out the scoring with an Andrea Fischer (Fr., Cleveland Heights, Ohio) goal for the 10-7 win. OSU’s Regina Oliver (So., Pottstown, Pa.) added three goals and Shannon Wilson (Sr., Sherkston, Ontario) two to complete the Buckeye scoring. Buckeye goalie Erin Forquer (So., Shaker Heights, Ohio) had seven saves in goal in picking up her 14th win of the season.
A LOOK AT OHIO STATE
Sue Stimmel coaches the Buckeyes. Ohio State has a 14-3 overall record and won the American Lacrosse Conference with a 5-1 league record. OSU is ranked 11th in the IWLCA final poll. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Championship, Ohio State upset No. 4 seed Duke, 10-7, to advance to the quarterfinals. Regina Oliver is the team leader in goals with 40. Shannon Wilson ranks second with 39 goals. Caroline Weatherill is third with 26 goals and Tracey Bounds (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.) is fourth with 22. Bounds has a team-high 19 assists with Oliver second with 13. Oliver has team-highs in caused turnovers with 46 and draw controls with 40. Kimberly Lowe (Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.) is second in caused turnovers with 30 while KC Carter (Fr., Birchrunville, Pa.) is second in draw controls with 32. Bounds leads the team in ground balls with 73. Oliver ranks second with 66. In goal, Erin Forquer is 14-2 with a 6.77 goals against average and a .554 saves percentage.
A LOOK AT PRINCETON
Chris Sailer coaches the Tigers. Princeton has a 13-4 overall record and is ranked fifth in the IWLCA Poll. The Tigers received an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship and defeated LeMoyne, 19-1, in first round action Thursday. The defending NCAA Champions have won their last six games. Princeton has five student-athletes with 24-or-more goals this season. Theresa Sherry is the team leader with 37 goals. Whitney Miller and Elizabeth Pillion have 27 each while Leigh Solonaker and Lindsey Biles have 24 each. Miller leads the team in assists with 14 with Alex Fiore second with 12. Fiore is the team leader in ground balls with 72 with Rachael Becker second with 59. Pillion leads the team in draw controls with 36. Sherry ranks second with 26. In caused turnovers, Lindsey Biles and Pillion share the team lead with 25. In goal, Sarah Kolodner has a 13-4 record with 17 starts. She has given up 98 goals for a 6.31 goals against average and recorded 117 saves for a .544 save percentage.
THE SERIES WITH PRINCETON
This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
COMMON OPPONENTS WITH PRINCETON
Princeton and Ohio State have played five common opponents this season. Each team went 4-1 against the common opponents. Both squads had wins over Lafayette, Penn State and Cornell. Princeton defeated Maryland, 13-6, while Ohio State lost to the Terrapins, 10-5. Ohio State defeated Duke, 10-7, while Princeton lost, 8-4, to the Blue Devils.
OHIO STATE AGAINST THE NCAA FIELD
Ohio State has faced only one opponent in the regular season that made the field of 16 for the NCAA Championship. Ohio State suffered a 10-5 loss to No. 2 Maryland on March 30 as part of the ALC/ACC Challenge played in Columbus.
OHIO STATE RECEIVES AN AT-LARGE BID TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
For the second consecutive year, Ohio State has received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. The Buckeyes were the only team selected from the American Lacrosse Conference. In OSU’s first appearance last season, the Buckeyes lost 11-7 at Notre Dame.
BUCKEYES WIN THE AMERICAN LACROSSE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Ohio State, with a 15-9 victory over Ohio University, won the American Lacrosse Championship Thursday night in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The outright championship is due to the wording of the bylaws of the Conference. Despite finishing tied with Penn State (5-1) in the conference standings, the Buckeyes won the championship based on the listed criteria of head-to-head competition with Penn State, to determine the champion. On April 27, Ohio State defeated Penn State, 10-9, for its only loss in conference play.
BUCKEYES TAKE TOP POSTSEASON ALC HONORS
The American Lacrosse Conference has announced the 2003 All-Conference squads and special awards selected by a vote of the league coaches. The 2003 ALC Champion Buckeyes were honored with the three player awards: Player of the Year – Regina Oliver; Goalie of the Year – Erin Forquer; Rookie of the Year – KC Carter and the Coach of the Year – Sue Stimmel. Oliver, Forquer, Tracey Bounds and Shannon Wilson were named to the ALC First Team All-Conference Squad. Additionally, Kimberly Lowe was selected to the second team.
WEATHERILL NAMED ALC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The American Lacrosse Conference announced that Caroline Weatherill has been named the ALC Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season. Weatherill scored a season-high five goals in OSU’s 15-9 win over Ohio University that gave the Buckeyes the American Lacrosse Conference Championship. She scored four of her goals in the first half as OSU built an 11-4 lead. Weatherill scored her five goals on eight shots and added three draw controls.
OHIO STATE’S EXTENDS TEAM SEASON WIN MARK AGAINST DUKE
Ohio State’s 10-7 win at Duke was the Buckeyes 14th win of the season and establishes a new season record for victories in a season. The previous record was 11 set last season when the Buckeyes finished 11-5.
FORQUER ADDS TO SEASON RECORD FOR GOALIE WINS
Buckeye goalie Erin Forquer, with the win at Duke Thursday, has a record of 14-2 this season. The 14 wins sets a single season record for wins. Forquer held the previous record of 11 set during her freshman season when she was 11-5. She has a career record of 25-7 and is one win from tying the career wins record of 26 held by Megan Barnett (1999-01) who had a 26-20 record.
OSU 9-0 IN ROAD CONTESTS THIS SEASON
For the first time in the history of the program, Ohio State has finished undefeated (8-0) on the road during the regular season. With the 10-7 win at Duke, the Buckeyes are 9-0 on the road this season. OSU won at No. 19 Richmond, 7-6, at Lafayette 11-2, at No. 20 Northwestern, 14-4 and at No. 14 Notre Dame, 12-9, in March. In April, OSU won at Davidson, 17-3, at No. 7 Cornell, 11-10, at Duquesne, 10-5, and at No. 9 Penn State, 10-9.
OSU PICKS UP FOURTH WIN OVER A TOP-10 OPPONENT
Ohio State’s 10-7 win at No. 4 Duke marked the fourth time this season the Buckeyes have defeated an opponent that was ranked in the Top-10 of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Poll. OSU defeated No. 9 North Carolina, 10-8, at home, won an 11-10 overtime decision at No. 7 Cornell and defeated No. 9 Penn State, 10-9 on the road. OSU’s has one loss against a Top-10 ranked school. The Buckeyes lost, 10-5, to No. 2 Maryland in Columbus. The Duke win is OSU’s first victory over a Top-5 squad.
BOUNDS EXPANDS OSU CAREER LEAD IN ASSISTS
Ohio State career assist leader, Tracey Bounds, added two assists at Duke to give her 60 for the season. A six-point game, including four assists, against Vanderbilt made her the OSU career leader in assists. Her five assists against the Bobcats ties her for second on the OSU games record list with Kristin Jeschke in 1999 against Ohio and her previous best in 2002 at Northwestern. Her 19 assists this season ranks her fourth on the OSU season record list.
OLIVER MOVES TIES FOR THIRD IN OSU SEASON POINTS
With three goals at Duke, Regina Oliver raised her season point total to 53 and moved into a tie for third on the OSU season record list with Erin Andersen (1999). She has had eight games with three or more goals this season.
OLIVER SECOND IN OSU SEASON GOALS
Regina Oliver’s three goals at Duke gives her 40 on the season and has moved her to second on the OSU season record list. She passed teammate Shannon Wilson (2003) and now assistant coach Megan Mirick (1999), who are tied for third with 39.
BOUNDS BECOMES SEASON LEADER IN GROUND BALLS
Tracey Bounds, with five ground balls again Ohio, became the Ohio State season leader with 70. She added three ground balls at Duke to raise her record total to 73.
STREAKS OF NOTE
OSU’s Regina Oliver has scored at least one goal in each of this year’s 14 games. With scores in the final six games in 2002, she has a current streak of 20 games. Buckeye Shannon Wilson has scored in every game this season for a streak of 14 games.
OHIO STATE 11TH IN FINAL IWLCA POLL
The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association final poll has ranked Ohio State 11th in the national poll released this week. The Buckeyes began the season 16th in the preseason poll and was in the Top-10 at ninth during the season. Loyola (Md.) (15-1) finished No. 1 in the poll.
OHIO STATE IN THE AMERICAN LACROSSE CONFERENCE STATISTICS
OSU’s Erin Forquer continues to lead the American Lacrosse Conference statistically in both goals against average at 6.76 and saves percentage at .557. Regina Oliver ranks fourth in scoring at 3.13 points per game and Shannon Wilson is fifth at 2.75. Wilson and Oliver are tied for third in goals per game at 2.31. In assists per game, Tracey Bounds ranks fifth at 1.06 and Oliver is seventh at .81. In draw controls per game, Oliver ranks second at 2.50 with KC Carter sixth at 1.81. Bounds ranks first in ground balls at 4.38 per game. Oliver is second at 3.94. In caused turnovers per game, Oliver ranks second at 2.88 with Kimberly Lowe fifth at 1.81. Brandie Williams (So., Hatboro, Pa.) is eighth at 1.44 and Wilson ninth at 1.38. The Buckeyes top the ALC in team defense giving up 7.09 goals per game. OSU is second in team offense with a 10.98 goals per game average and second in ground balls at 32.31 per game. OSU ranks fourth in draw controls at 10.11 per game.
OHIO STATE IN THE NCAA NATIONAL STATISTICS
In the national statistics released this week by the NCAA, Ohio State is ranked sixth in the country in defense with a 7.19 goals against average and 11th in scoring margin at 3.81 points. The Buckeyes are eighth nationally in ground balls with a 32.45 per game average. Individually, Erin Forquer ranks third in goals against average at 6.79 and 12th in save percentage at .557. Tracey Bounds is sixth in the country in ground balls with a 4.38 per game average. Regina Oliver is fifth in caused turnovers with 2.88 per game and 15th in ground balls at 3.94.
OSU SETS WIN STREAK WITH VICTORY OVER NORTH CAROLINA
Ohio State’s 10-8 victory over ninth-ranked North Carolina was the seventh consecutive win for the Buckeyes after a season opening loss to Stanford. The seven 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.
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 68-49 at Ohio State and is 144-67 in her 14-year career. The 2003 season has been her most successful with a program-high 14 wins and winning the American Lacrosse Conference. The squad is currently ranked 11th and has received at-large bids to the NCAA Championship the last two season.
UPCOMING FOR THE BUCKEYES
With a win over Princeton, Ohio State would advance to the NCAA Championship semifinal and face the winner of Loyola (Md.) (16-1) and Yale (14-3) match on Fri., May 16.
