Davidson College
No. 7 Wake Forest
Field Hockey Looking to Upset No. 7 Wake Forest Friday
9/16/2010 12:31:00 PM | Field Hockey
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The 5-1 Davidson field hockey team will face its strongest test of the season Friday evening, as No. 7 Wake Forest, also 5-1, will take on the 'Cats at Belk Turf Field.
Fans that are unable to make it out to the field tonight can follow all the action via live stats, which can be found here.
Scouting the Wildcats: Davidson is off to its best start since 1999 and, for the first time in program history, has received votes in the Kookabura/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll for two consecutive weeks. Averaging 3.83 goals per game, the 'Cats' attack presently ranks ninth in the nation. With 23 goals in six games, the 'Cats are on pace to shatter the single-season team goal scoring mark of 52, set in 1990 and equaled in 2007. Sophomore forward Finley Amato leads the NorPac Conference in scoring with six goals and two assists for 14 points, good for a 2.33 points per game average that presently ranks her 19th in the nation. With six goals in six games, Amato is on pace to break Davidson's single-season goals- and points- scored records. Cathy Inabnet holds the goals-scored mark at 18 (set in 1980), and shares the points-scored mark of 36 with Lea Jaeger (2000). Senior midfielder/forward Jennie Mostellar follows Amato with 12 points (5g, 2a), while junior forward Christine Rua ranks third on the team with 11 points (5g, 1a). Junior midfielder Gray Robinson has scored three goals and two assists in the last four games.
Scouting the Demon Deacons: Wake Forest, ranked seventh in the nation, also sports a 5-1 record, with their lone defeat coming to No. 1 North Carolina, 0-5. North Carolina defeated Wake Forest in the 2009 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals. The Demon Deacons and Wildcats have shared one common opponent this season, Lafayette. Wake Forest won 3-2, while Davidson won 3-0. Wake Forest has also defeated NorPac foe Longwood, 4-2. Most recently, Wake Forest opened their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, going to penalty strokes with No. 10 Duke and prevailing 3-2. Lizzie Rae leads the team in scoring with five goals and an assist. Kaitlyn Ruhf has a saver percentage of .683 and a goals against average of 2.02.
The Series: Davidson is 16-28-2 all-time against Wake Forest. The Wildcats last defeated the Demon Deacons, in 1991. Davidson's second win in program history was over Wake Forest, 5-0, on Oct. 12, 1976.
Up Next: Davidson will open its NorPac schedule on the road at Radford Wednesday before hosting Richmond and Georgetown on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
