Grant Sets School Record While Leading Duke To Fifth Shutout

Friday, October 28

Durham, N.C.

3 p.m.

Duke University

Northwestern

Grant Sets School Record While Leading Duke To Fifth Shutout

10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? Senior Katie Grant recorded her third hat trick this year and led the No. 2 Duke field hockey team on a 9-0 run against Northwestern Friday at Williams Field. Duke improved to 13-3 in its final home game and fifth shutout of the 2005 season, while netting its highest number of goals in a single game this year. With eight points off three goals and two assists, Grant broke the career points record by two points, bringing her total to 202. A total of six Blue Devils scored goals and six had assists.

“I thought we played a great passing game,” said head coach Beth Bozman. “We moved the ball at a good speed and had some great combinations that resulted in goals. Katie finished very well. She has been working really hard on that, and it paid off today. It was certainly a milestone for her.”

Grant was not the only player to tally multiple goals in the win. Fellow senior Nicole Dudek opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game. Freshman Laura Suchoski cleared the ball through two defenders to find Dudek, who then carried the ball a quarter of the way up the field and into the circle, where she was able to post and shoot past Northwestern goalie Emily Kyle. Dudek tacked on another goal in the second half, converting a penalty corner from sophomore Courtney Elliott and junior Cara-Lynn Lopresti.

Freshman Julie Tromp picked up her fifth goal of the season in the 11th minute of play, scoring on a penalty corner with help from Grant and freshman Marian Dickinson. Grant brought the score to 3-0 in the 27th minute, rebounding her own shot and putting it past the Northwestern goalie. Grant's goal was quickly followed by junior Amy Stopford, who deflected a hit from Dudek into the goal to give Duke a 4-0 halftime advantage.

Grant again found herself in scoring position six and a half minutes into the second period. Facing off with the goalie, she was able to slip the ball into the left corner of the goal to up the score to 5-0. Freshman Ashley Pultorak scored her third goal of the season at the 19-minute mark in the second half, converting a pass from Grant.

Less than six minutes later, Grant was at it again, scoring off a pass from sophomore Rachel Link to break the points record she had tied on the play before. Dudek's corner put the Blue Devils up 8-0, and Suchoski iced the win with an unassisted goal with just over four minutes to play.

Senior Christy Morgan matched a season-high save total, stopping 14 of Northwestern's 19 shots. Duke outshot the Wildcats, 38-19, and led in saves, 14-10. Northwestern grabbed a slight edge in penalty corners (8-7), but Morgan refused to let the Wildcats turn the opportunities into goals, saving seven of 10 shots that resulted directly from the corners or from rebounded shots off the corners.

Duke returns to action Sunday with its final regular season game at No. 20 Virginia Sunday. With the game, the Blue Devils will wrap up conference play four days before the start of the ACC Tournament. Duke and Virginia will match up at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va.

“Our goal going into the game is the same as it is every game,” said Bozman. “We are going to continue to improve and to fix the little things we feel are problem areas before we head into the postseason.”

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