Wake Forest Advances to Championship Game with 3-0 Win Over Michigan State
Box Score
LOUISVILLE, KY - The Wake Forest Demon Deacons dominated the Michigan State Spartans in a 3-0 field hockey win Friday, placing them in the NCAA National Championship game against Penn State Sunday at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Demon Deacons (19-2) have won 18 straight games heading into the title game after outshooting the Spartans 17-3 in Friday's match.
Wake Forest sophomore Kelly Dostal opened the scoring on a brilliant individual effort at the 30:40 mark for a 1-0 Demon Deacon lead. Dostal took the ball on the left baseline, beat a Spartan defender, and from an impossible angle drilled a shot high to the glove side for her team-high 16th of the season.
Just under a minute later, Dostal sent a hard shot toward the goal that was deflected over Michigan State goalkeeper Christina Kirkaldy by Ariel Meyers for her eighth goal of the year and a 2-0 Wake Forest advantage.
The Deacons held a 10-0 shot advantage over the Spartans (23-3) in the first half, forcing Kirkaldy to make seven saves in the initial stanza. Wake had four penalty corners to MSU's two.
In the second half, Wake Forest junior Emily Ruth measured the final margin with her ninth goal of the season in the 39th minute on an assist by Maeke Boreel, extending the Demon Deacons lead to 3-0.
Wake Forest will face Penn State, who defeated Old Dominion 3-2, in the national championship game Sunday at 2:00p.m. at the University of Louisville's Trager Stadium.
The two teams met during the regular season on October 12th with Wake Forest taking a 6-1 win at home.
