Wake Forest Captures NCAA Championship With a 2-0 Victory Over Penn State
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LOUISVILLE, KY - A pair of goals within a three-minute span of the first half propelled Wake Forest University to a 2-0 win over Penn State in the finals of the 2002 NCAA Field Hockey Championship in Louisville’s Trager Stadium.
Junior Kelly Doton scored off an assist from freshman Maeke Boreel at the 12:28 mark of the first half to give WFU (20-2) a 1-0 lead. Less than three minutes later, senior Heather Aughinbaugh netted an unassisted goal 15:12 into the opening frame to provide the final margin. The Nittany Lions (19-5) tried to rally throughout the second half, but were unable to find the back of the net.
“I’m so incredibly thrilled for the kids, for the institution and for my coaching staff,” said Wake Forest head coach Jennifer Averill. “You dream about these moments. I really felt coming into the tournament that we had a championship team. However, you have to respect your opponent and play your best. To come into the tournament and play in the fashion that we did, it just seemed that with every game we were successful, the appetite was insatiable. They just wanted more.”
The Demon Deacons finished the season on a 19-match winning streak, and captured their first NCAA Field Hockey championship after reaching the national semifinals in the previous two seasons.
Wake Forest outshot Penn State 12-4 for the match, and held an 8-6 advantage in penalty corner opportunities. Junior goalkeeper Katie Ridd stopped four shots in the match, while senior Penn State keeper Annie Zinkavich turned away nine shots, including seven in the second half.
Doton, Aughinbaugh and Ridd were named to the all-tournament team, as were sophomore Kelly Dostol and junior Lucy Shaw from Wake Forest. Joining them were Penn State seniors Timarie Legel, Heather Conroy and Jill Martz, along with Old Dominion senior Tiffany Snow and junior Angie Loy. Michigan State junior Alexandra Kyser rounded out the all-tournament squad.
