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Nov. 23, 2008 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After topping 3-seed Syracuse 3-2 in overtime during the 2008 NCAA Field Hockey Semifinals, second-seeded Wake Forest fell short in the championship match to the top-ranked Maryland Terrapins 4-2. Wake Forest finishes the season with a 22-4 record, tying the program record for most wins in a season. Maryland will take the NCAA title for the sixth time in Terrapin history with a 23-3 record. Wake Forest would be the first to score in the final match. In the 18th minute Minou Gimbrere sent the ball to defender Liza Casella who made a run from just behind the 25 yard marker to the top of the circle where she fired a rocket into traffic. Hilary Moore made a reach to tap in the ball and give Wake Forest a 1-0 advantage. It was Moore's fourth goal of the Final Four. On Maryland's next possession the Terrapins had a chance to knot the score on a penalty corner. Suzie Rowe launched a shot to the right corner of the Demon Deacon goal but the ball was cleared away by Wake Forest back Liz Fries who knocked the ball out of bounds. Maryland immediately picked up a second penalty corner attempt. Rowe once again fired from the top of the circle and the ball kissed the cross bar but fell outside of the cage and the Deacons retained their 1-0 lead. With 10:02 left in the first half Nicole Muracco tapped in a shot from Suzie Rowe during a penalty corner to get Maryland on the board for the first time. On Maryland's sixth and final corner of the first half, Rowe fired the first shot from the top of the circle and the attempt was blocked by the Deacon defense. Rowe ran into the crowd to fired a second shot from the left side. Wake Forest goalkeeper Crystal Duffield, who was still on the ground after the first shot, lifted her leg to block Rowe's second attempt and keep the score tied at 1-1. Duffield accumulated three crucial saves by the end of the first half while UM keeper Alicia Grater had none.
The Terrapins took a 2-1 lead with just under four minutes to play when Katie O'Donnell flew into Wake Forest territory and beat her defender to slip the ball into the Demon Deacon cage. With 29 minutes left to play, Maryland took two consecutive corners and the Deacons cleared the ball twice to keep the score at 2-1. On the next corner attempt Maryland scored to put Terrapins up 3-1. In the 46th minute Maryland's Danielle Keeley spotted Brianna Davies who was open in the top right of the circle. Keely made the cross from the left side and Davies sent in the shot to give Maryland a daunting 4-1 lead with less than 25 minutes in regulation. With 16:12 to play Wake Forest head coach Jennifer Averill called a timeout but the Deacons were unable to follow up with a quick goal. With just over a minute to play Hilary Moore scored her fifth and final goal of the tournament, sneaking past the Terrapin defense inside the scoring circle. The late goal cut the Demon Deacon deficit to 2, but Maryland would retain the 4-2 lead as the final minutes ticked away. Wake Forest's fifth appearance in the NCAA Finals ends 2008 campaign for the Demon Deacons. |
