University of Massachusets Athletics
Field Hockey National Championship Field Set
November 17, 2003 | Field Hockey
Nov. 17, 2003
Enter Field Hockey Tournament Central
AMHERST, Mass. - Wake Forest University, the University of Michigan, the University of Maryland and Duke University will be playing for the 2003 NCAA Division I Field Hockey National Championship this weekend at Garber Field on the campus of the University of Massachusetts. Wake Forest and Michigan will play in the early semifinal at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, while Atlantic Coast Conference rivals Maryland and Duke play at 7:30 p.m. The winners advance to the national championship game on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 12:30 p.m. The final will be televised live on the College Sports Television Network.
Wake Forest (20-1), champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference and defending national champions, are led by local products Kelly Dostal and Kelly Doton. Dostal, a junior from Hatfield, Mass. and Smith Academy leads the team with 63 points on 29 goals and five assists. She set new school single-season records for both goals and points. Her seven game-winning tallies are also a team-high. Doton, who is a senior from Greenfield, Mass., is second on the squad with 38 points. Wake Forest has allowed just 12 goals this year while scoring 92. WFU defeated Duke, 3-2 in overtime, of the ACC championship and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. At the Storrs, Conn., regional, the Demon Deacons knocked off Big East teams Boston College (5-1) and Connecticut (3-0) to punch their ticket to Amherst. Five Deacs (Doton, Katie Ridd, Lucy Shaw, Dostal and Maeke Boreel) were selected as first-team National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-Region members, while Claire Laubach and Lauren Crandall received second team honors.
Michigan (17-5) lost to Penn State 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament, but earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. At the East Lansing, Mich., regional, the Wolverines defeated North Carolina (2-1) and Michigan State (2-1) to earn their third trip to the national championship in the last five years. Michigan is led by April Fronzoni. She has scored 47 points on 20 goals and seven assists. Fronzoni, Kristi Gannon and Stephanie Johnson were named to the NFHCA All-Region first team, while Adrienne Hortillosa earned second team honors. Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz is a native of Wakefield, Mass. At Wakefield High School, she played against Massachusetts head coach Patty Shea. The duo were also Olympic teammates. UM freshman Kara Lentz is a native of Manchester, Mass.
Duke (19-3) lost to Wake Forest, 3-2 in overtime, of the ACC title game and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the Durham, N.C., regional, the Blue Devils defeated American (3-1) and Old Dominion (8-2) to capture the program's first final four berth. Duke head coach Beth Bozman became just the third coach in NCAA Tournament history to earn a Final Four appearance with two teams. She guided Princeton to the Final Four four times (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001), reaching the national championship game in 1996 and 1998. The Blue Devils are led offensively by Katie Grant and Gracie Sorbello. Grant has 62 points on 22 goals and 18 assists, while Sorbello is second on the squad with 51 points on 21 goals and nine assists. Grant Johanna Bischof and Sorbello were named to the STX/NFHCA All-South Region first team, while Kim Gogola, Christy Morgan and Hilary Linton earned second team recognition.
Maryland (20-3) earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. At the College Park, Md., regional, it defeated California (2-0) and Penn State (5-0) to secure the school's ninth trip to the national semifinals. This marks the Terps' second trip to Amherst this season. They began the year with wins over New Hampshire (8-0), Massachusetts (7-0) and Quinnipiac (6-0) at Garber Field. Maryland is led offensively by Paula Infante (19 goals-seven assists-45 points), Anja Boettcher (18-2-38) and Jackie Ciconte (17-3-37). Emily Boyer, Ciconte, Lauren Powley and Infante earned first team NFHCA All-Region honors. Colleen Barbieri, Kristin Harris, Sara Silvetti and Tiffany Marsh were second team selections.