Upcoming Event: Field Hockey at William & Mary on September 12, 2025 at 4 p.m.
/
4 p.m.
Field Hockey
at William & Mary
Sunday, November 20
Louisville, Ky.
12:30 p.m.
Duke University
0
vs
1
Maryland
Maryland Eludes Duke, 1-0, For National Field Hockey Title
11/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
LOUISVILLE, KY. ? Top ranked Maryland edged the third-seeded Duke field hockey team out of a national title Sunday, 1-0, in the lowest scoring championship game in NCAA history at the University of Louisville's Trager Field. The Blue Devils close the season with an 18-5 record, matching the second-highest win total in school history and a second-place finish among Division I field hockey teams.
The lone goal of the game came eight and a half minutes into the first half, when Maryland's Jackie Ciconte got past the Duke defense on a breakaway and slid the ball into the goal. Neither team would score for the rest of the game, giving the Terrapins the 1-0 win and the national title.
The Blue Devils found several good looks in the first half that just didn't finish, including a promising penalty corner nine minutes after Maryland's goal. Freshman Julie Tromp sent a pass from the top of the circle to senior Katie Grant on the baseline, but Grant's shot narrowly missed the corner of the goal.
“I think we turned the game around midway through the first half,” said head coach Beth Bozman. “We weren't executing our game plan in the first part. We made corrections on the field and took that game plan to another level in the second half. ... I think anyone looking at the game, really watching the 70 minutes would probably be surprised if they looked at the score. As much as it is a game of capitalizing opportunities, it is also a game of errors. Errors are the difference between championships and second place, and that's what it was today.”
In the second half, Duke increased its defensive pressure, holding Maryland to only two shots and two penalty corners. The Blue Devils drew four corners in the second half but couldn't get the shots to fall. In the final 10 minutes of the game, the defenses went head-to-head, and neither team was allowed a shot opportunity.
“We had our chance to get a few good shots off, but we just didn't capitalize,” said Grant. “We weren't working off each other like we did on Friday. That was the difference I think.”
Grant, seniors Nicole Dudek and Christy Morgan and freshman Laura Suchoski all earned slots on the 2005 All-Tournament team. Grant, Dudek and Suchoski were also recognized last week as three of seven Blue Devils to make the All-South Region team.
Head coach Beth Bozman came to Duke in 2003 and has guided the Blue Devils to three straight championship game appearances in her three years at the head of the program. The 1-0 loss to Maryland Sunday was the closest the Blue Devils have ever come to winning the title. Wake Forest defeated Duke, 3-1, in 2003 and 3-0 in 2004.
Duke was coming off a win over Wake Forest Friday, when the Blue Devils defeated the Deacons, 3-2, in the semifinals to advance to the championship game and end a three-year streak of losing to Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament. The Atlantic Coast Conference was well represented in this year's final four, with Maryland, Wake Forest and Duke appearing as the one, two and three seeds.
-d-u-k-e-
Players Mentioned
F
/ Field HockeyF
/ Field HockeyG
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field HockeyWhat It’s Like to Be a Blue Devil
Friday, June 13
End of Year Recap
Friday, December 13
CoachBustin Postgame: North Carolina
Sunday, November 17
Coach Bustin & Frederique Wollaert Postgame: Maryland
Friday, November 15
