Top-Seeded Blue Devils Face Virginia In ACC Championship Game

April 24, 2004

Top-seeded Duke faces second-seed Virginia on Sunday April 25, at 1:00 p.m. in the 2004 ACC Women's Lacrosse Championship game at Henry Field in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Blue Devils, ranked seventh in the latest IWLCA poll, posted a 12-11 win over North Carolina on Friday to improve to 11-4 on the season and reach the conference championship game for the second time in program history. No. 4 Virginia (14-3) recorded a 9-7 come-from-behind win over Maryland in the other semifinal game to get to the championship game for the fifth time.

In Friday's win over North Carolina, the Blue Devils received a career-high five goals from freshman Leigh Jester. The Ridgewood, N.J., native scored three times in the second half to help Duke overcome a 6-4 halftime deficit.

While Jester kept the team in the game it was another freshman, Meghan Ferguson, who provided the game-winner for the Blue Devils. Ferguson caused a turnover on the defensive end of the field and carried the ball nearly 80-yards before skipping a shot by the North Carolina goalie with 6:38 remaining in the contest. The goal, the first of her career, proved to be the game-winner as Duke gained possession on the ensuing draw control and ran out the clock.

The Blue Devils also got three goals from sophomore Katie Chrest and two goals and six draw controls from senior Meghan Walters. Chrest leads the team in shots (93), goals (33) and points (41), while Walters has 19 goals and leads the ACC with 47 draw controls and 24 caused turnovers.

Duke's other championship game appearance came in 2001, when it fell to Maryland, 15-12, in Orlando, Fla.. Virginia is 1-3 in championship games with the conference championship coming in 1998.

The Cavaliers hold a 10-3 lead in the all-time series with Duke, including a 3-0 mark in ACC Tournament games. The Blue Devils won the regular season meeting in 2004 with a 10-9 decision in Durham, N.C. Junior Kristy Dirks netted four goals in the win, while Chrest added three goals and three assists.