Dudek Leads Duke To NCAA Quarterfinal With Double-Overtime Thriller

Saturday, November 12

Princeton, N.J.

11 a.m.

Duke University

Princeton (First Round)

Dudek Leads Duke To NCAA Quarterfinal With Double-Overtime Thriller

11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

PRINCETON, N.J. ? No. 4 Duke played nearly 100 minutes before pulling away from Princeton in NCAA field hockey first round action Saturday at the Tigers' home field. Senior Nicole Dudek knocked in her second goal of the game with 1:27 left in the second sudden-death overtime to give Duke the 2-1 victory and advance to the quarterfinals.

“We knew if we didn't play as well as we could, this is the kind of game we would have,” said head coach Beth Bozman. “Princeton is a strong team, and they had a great game plan that they executed very well. Princeton's Allison Nemeth was phenomenal in the cage.”

Duke and Princeton played scoreless until 28:32 into the game, when the Tigers' Leah Hoagland scored her first goal of the year, going one-on-one with Duke goalie Christy Morgan after taking a breakaway pass from Maren Ford. The Blue Devils headed into halftime down a goal for only the fifth time this season after outshooting Princeton 12-3 and drawing seven corners.

It took Dudek less than five minutes after the break to match the score. Senior Katie Grant took the ball to the left edge of Princeton's goal and slid it to the opposite corner, where a waiting Dudek nailed it against the back board. Dudek ?s goal was the 16th of the season, and Grant's pass brought her career total to 61, two shy of the all-time Duke record.

Princeton tried to answer but was frustrated by the Duke defense. Nicole Ng took a shot off a corner just over 15 minutes into the second half, but it hit the post and bounced out of bounds. Later, Ng tried to slip another shot behind Morgan, but freshman Laura Suchoski stepped in for Duke's first defensive save of the year. The Blue Devils drew their last regulation corner with 52 seconds to go in a last attempt to avoid overtime, but a shot by Julie Tromp was blocked.

In only its second overtime game of the season, Duke put Suchoski, Dudek, Grant and juniors Amy Stopford, Hilary Linton and Cara-Lynn Lopresti in the extra period, backed by Morgan in goal, while rotating in sophomore Shayna McGeehan and Tromp.

Princeton thought it had won the game when the ball entered the cage at the 3:04 mark, but Paige Schmidt's hit from outside the circle had bounced off a Duke stick and into the net. Since the original shot was not inside the circle, the goal did not count.

The Blue Devils tried to take advantage with Grant, Lopresti and Linton finding shots, only to have them saved or fall just wide. Then, Princeton's Lauren Erlichman tried to take matters into her own hands on a fast break. Morgan came out to contest the one-on-one play, but as Erlichman slipped behind her, Stopford jumped in to pressure the Princeton senior into taking a wide shot. With the clock winding down, Grant and Lopresti both attempted another shot on goal, and with just under two minutes to go the Blue Devils drew a corner, but Princeton's defense stepped in to block Linton's shot.

It was almost another full overrtime before Dudek came up with the game-winner with 1:27 left to avoid a penalty stroke showdown. Grant, Linton and Stopford all logged close shots before Suchoski took control in the final two minutes, crossing the ball to Dudek, who was in front of the goal to chip it in.

In the entire 98:33 of the game, Duke controlled the shots, 33-10 and penalty corners, 14-4. Princeton's Nemeth recorded 11 saves, while Morgan had two. Morgan played an aggressive game, however, halting a number of fast breaks before they could be turned into shots.

The Blue Devils, who are 16-4 this season, advance to the second round Sunday at 2 p.m., when they will meet the winner of No. 10 Connecticut and No. 13 Boston College, who play at 2 p.m. Saturday. Princeton closes the 2005 season with a 9-9 record.

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