Nov. 7, 2000

Winston-Salem, NC - The Wake Forest field hockey team, ranked fourth nationally, will host the first and second rounds of the 2000 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament at Kentner Stadium November 11 and 12.

Wake Forest is set to play No. 16 Harvard (12-5) in the first round at 11:00 am, while No. 5 Michigan (18-3) will face No. 14 William & Mary (12-7) in the other first round game at 2:00 pm. The Deacs have defeated both Michigan and William & Mary at home this season, but have yet to face the Crimson in head-to-head competition. The quarterfinal game will be played on Sunday with a 2:00 pm start.

The Deacons have gone 16-3 overall and 3-1 in ACC play this season. Wake has faced seven of the top 20 teams in the STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll and has dropped only twice to third-ranked North Carolina and once to No. 2 Maryland.

"We are extremely grateful that the NCAA recognized us as a host institution - it's great for our team to be playing at home," head coach Jennifer Averill said. "We don't care who our opponents are - we're just glad that we're home. Our focus right now is Harvard, we're not looking ahead to Michigan."

The Deacs' selection to the NCAA field marks the second consecutive year that Wake Forest has advanced to post-season play. Wake dropped a 3-2 double-overtime game to Michigan in the quarterfinals of the 1999 NCAA tourney. The Deacs suffered their third loss at the hands of the Terrapins in the second round of the ACC Tournament last weekend. Wake has been ranked as high as third this season, after beginning 1999 No. 6 nationally.

Three other ACC teams advanced to the 16-team field, Maryland and North Carolina were both selected as hosts for the first and second rounds, while Virginia will travel to Old Dominion for the first of a possible two NCAA games.

The semifinals and championship game will be held in Norfolk, VA at Foreman Field on the campus of Old Dominion University November 17 and 19.