Dec. 10, 1997
Deacons Fall to Duke in First Round of ACC Tournament
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest field hockey team closed out the 1997 season with a heartbreaking loss to Duke in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Nov. 6. The loss capped a disappointing 8-11 season for the Deacons, who had hoped for bigger things in '97.
DEACS FALL TO DUKE IN ACC TOURNAMENT: Seeded fifth in the ACC Tournament, Wake Forest faced fourth-seeded and 15th-ranked Duke in the first round game in Chapel Hill on Nov. 6. The Deacons turned in perhaps their best team effort of the year, but fell in a heartbreaking 3-2 decision. Wake jumped on the Blue Devils early, as junior back Lisa Andries (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) scored off a Jenny Everett (Rutland, VT/Rutland) assist at the 15:34 mark of the first half. Duke surged ahead 2-1, scoring on a pair of penalty corners bridging the first and second halves. The Deacs refused to go quietly, though, and Andries scored her second goal of the game on a pass from junior forward Amanda Janney (Fort Worth, TX/Trinity Valley) with 23:25 remaining to make it 2-2. Duke quashed the Deacon comeback, however, netting the game-winner with just over 12 minutes remaining. The Blue Devils outshot Wake 20-10 for the game and held a 12-6 advantage in corners. WFU sophomore goaltender Meaghan Nitka (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) kept the Deacs in the game with an outstanding performance in goal, making 11 saves. For her tremendous play, Nitka was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.
A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE REGULAR SEASON: With several players returning from injuries that crippled the 1996 squad, the Demon Deacons had high hopes for the '97 season. Wake got off to a promising start, going 6-1 in the early season and earning a No. 11 ranking in the first NCAA poll. That ranking marked the Deacs' return to the national top 20 after nearly a year's absence, having fallen out of the polls midway through the '96 campaign. Wake was headed into the meat of its powerhouse schedule, however, and things took a turn for the worse. The Deacs dropped their next five straight games, and while three of those losses came to ACC squads ranked in the national top 10, the other two came unexpectedly to unranked teams with losing records. WFU won two of its next three to stay above .500, but faced an intimidating slate of opponents in the final week of the season. In a five-day span, Wake faced three top 15 teams, including eventual NCAA champion UNC, second-ranked Virginia, and No. 15 Boston College. The Deacs dropped all three games, losing to BC in the season finale on a heartbreaking last-second goal.
POSTSEASON HONORS: In addition to Meaghan Nitka earning ACC All-Tournament honors, three Deacons were honored at the regional level. Freshman midfielder Jenny Everett, junior midfielder Amy Marchell (Hopewell Jct., NY/John Jay), and senior back Nicole Serluco (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) were named to the South Regional All-America Second Team for their play this season.
EVERETT POSTS A RECORD-BREAKING ROOKIE CAMPAIGN: Freshman midfielder Jenny Everett recorded a phenomenal rookie season with the Demon Deacons this fall. Everett set a new mark for goals in a game when she scored five times in the Deacs' 10-0 win over Appalachian State and broke the freshman single-season goal-scoring record with 17 goals. Everett recorded the third-highest goal and point totals in a season in Wake Forest history, falling just two goals and one point shy of the school records (see right). She scored at least one goal in 10 of 19 games and accounted for 30 percent of Wake's goals this season (17 of 57). She was named ACC Co-Player of the Week once.
SERLUCO THIRD IN ALL-TIME ASSISTS: Senior back Nicole Serluco leaves Wake Forest as the program's third all-time assists leader, having set up 18 goals in her career (see right). The record is an amazing 52, set by Susan Bowman from 1993-96. Serluco has recorded a total of 46 points in her career, including 18 this season (4g, 6a). She has scored all four of her goals this season on penalty strokes, going a perfect 4-for-4, and has also recorded two defensive saves.
JANNEY AN OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKER: Junior center forward Amanda Janney was one of Wake's top offensive playmakers this season, leading the team in assists (10) and ranking seocnd in overall scoring with 24 points. An outstanding ball distributor, Janney started every game this fall on the front line. For her career, Janney has tallied 16 goals and 12 assists for 44 points.
SUPER SOPHS: Wake Forest received some key contributions from its sophomore class this year. Sophomore back Jessica Barney (Virginia Beach, VA/Cox) has been one of the Deacs' most consistent defenders for two seasons and has started every contest since arriving on campus last year. Kelly Malinoski (Thorofare, NJ/West Deptford) is also a two-year starter, and she has been a vital part the Wake midfield in both of her two seasons. She contributed two goals and an assist this fall, as well as four defensive saves. Forwards Margit Haalebos (Hattem, Teh Netherlands) and Samantha Rush (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) both emerged as scoring threats this year after seeing limited action last season. Haalebos was the Deacs' fourth-leading scorer this season (18 games, 9 starts, 6g, 6a, 18 pts), while Rush was the team's third leading scorer overall (17 games, 11 starts, 9g, 1a, 19 pts).
MIDFIELD MAINSTAYS: In addition to Malinoski, the Deacons received solid midfield play from juniors Amy Marchell and Kelly Simon (Wall, NJ/Wall) this fall. After starting as a freshman, Marchell missed all of her sophomore year for knee surgery and returned to the lineup this year. Wake's anchor in the middle, Marchell missed six games in mid-season due to another knee injury, and WFU went 2-4 without her. She recorded two goals and one assist. Simon was moved from forward to midfield this year to take advantage of her speed and ballhandling ability. She started all 19 games and tallied two goals and four assists.
A VETERAN DEFENSE: Wake was blessed with a veteran starting defensive unit which remained unchanged since Game 3. In addition to Serluco and Barney (mentioned above), the Deacon defense was anchored by team co-captains Amy Allen (Washington, CT/Shepaug Valley) and Lisa Andries. Allen is a senior sweeper with a powerful drive who took most of the team's penalty corner shots. She started all 19 games and tallied four goals and five assists. Andries, a junior, also started every game at back and boasts great speed and agility. She takes the Deacs' corner hits and has tallied four goals and four assists, including both goals vs. Duke in the ACC's.
NITKA, TRESSLER MIND THE NET: The Deacs utilized the talents of both sophomore Meaghan Nitka and freshman Jaime Tressler (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) in goal this season. Nitka started 17 games, playing 978 minutes and recording a .738 save percentage and a 2.79 goals against average. She earned ACC All-Tournamant honors for her outstanding play vs. Duke in the conference tourney. Tressler saw significant action as a backup, appearing in 12 games and starting two. In 352 minutes of action, Tressler recorded a .724 save percentage and a 1.59 GAA.
LOOKING AHEAD...Despite their disappointing finish in 1997, the Deacons retain a solid nucleus of their starting squad to build on for next season. Wake will lose only two players from its roster, albeit two of the team's top defenders in Amy Allen and Nicole Serluco. But with the entire midfield and forward lines returning, and well as both goalkeepers and two starting defenders, the Deacs look to be in good shape to improve in 1998.
Final 1997 Record: 8-11, 0-5 ACC
Win/Lose Streak: Lost 4
NCAA Rank: NR
1996 Record: 7-12, 1-7 ACC (5th)
Head Coach: Jennifer Averill
Record at WFU: 51-59-3 (6th yr)
Career Record: 71-91-6 (9th yr)
Assistant Coach: Amy Robertson
Assistant Coach: Shelly Meister
Additions to the Recordbook
ASSISTS IN A CAREER
1. Susan Bowman (1993-96) 52
2. Mary Moore (1993-96) 27
3. Kristen Turk (1989-91) 18
Nicole Serluco (1993-97) 18
5. Karen Liberi (1988-91) 17
GOALS IN A SEASON
1. Tracy Stickney (1989) 19
2. Tracy Stickney (1990) 18
3. Jenny Everett (1997) 17
4. Ginette Verkleij (1994) 15
5. Samantha Stecker (1987) 13
Tracy Stickney (1988) 13
POINTS IN A SEASON
1. Tracy Stickney (1989) 38
Ginette Verkleij (1994) 38
3. Tracy Stickney (1990) 37
Jenny Everett (1997) 37
5. Samantha Stecker (1987) 28
Tracy Stickney (1988) 28
Kristen Turk (1990) 28
Susan Bowman (1996) 28
GOALS IN A GAME
Team 12 vs. Davisdson, 9-9-97
Ind. 5 by Jenny Everett vs. Appalachian St., 9-11-97
POINTS IN A GAME
Team 33 vs. Miami (OH), 9-8-96
Ind. 12 by Jenny Everett vs. Appalachian St., 9-11-97
1997 ACC Tournament
First Round - Nov. 6
Duke 3, Wake Forest 2
Semifinals - Nov. 7
North Carolina 3, Maryland 2 (ot)
Virginia 2, Duke 1 (ot)
Finals:
North Carolina 2, Virginia 0
All-Tournament Team:
Kate Barber UNC
Cindy Breyer Duke
Christine DeBow Maryland
Joy Driscoll UNC
Lori Mastropietro Virginia
Kristen McCann UNC
Meaghan Nitka Wake Forest
Carolyn Schwartz Maryland
Courtney Sommer Duke
Cindy Werley (MVP) UNC
Becky Worthington Virginia
