Blue Devils Claim Top Seed In ACC Tournament With 20-7 Win Over Virginia Tech

Friday, April 22

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Duke University

Virginia Tech

Blue Devils Claim Top Seed In ACC Tournament With 20-7 Win Over Virginia Tech

4/22/2005 1:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

By: Duke Sports Information

April 22, 2005

Box Score

The Duke University women's lacrosse team moved to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the ACC with a 20-7 victory against Virginia Tech Friday evening at Koskinen Stadium. Sophomore Kristen Waagbo led the way with three goals and two assists, while junior Katie Chrest and freshman Caroline Cryer each added three goals and an assist. With the win, Duke also locked up the top-seed in next weekend's ACC Tournament in Baltimore, Md.

The game got off to a fast start with four goals in the opening two minutes of play. Waagbo starting things off with an unassisted goal 42 seconds into the contest and then assisted on a Chrest goal just over a minute later to give Duke a 2-0 lead. Virginia Tech's Britt Faulkner scored at the 28:05 mark, but Leigh Jester responded five seconds later to push the advantage to 3-1. Stefanie Sparks, Lane Fogarty and Rachel Sanford added goals over the next eight minutes. Faulkner netted her second goal with 16:20 left in the half, but Duke ripped off three goals in a five minute span to push the lead to 9-2.

Lindsay Pieper and Faulkner scored back-to-back goals for the Hokies to trim the deficit to 9-4, but Duke countered with four goals in the final seven minutes to take a 13-4 halftime lead. The Blue Devils took 20 shots in the opening 30 minutes and had goals by eight different players. Goalie Meghan Huether also had a strong showing with eight first half saves.

The Duke scoring barrage continued in the second half with Michelle Menser, Chrest, Sanford, Cryer and Jessica Adam scoring goals to push the lead to 18-4 with just over 15 minutes remaining in the contest. After a Va. Tech goal by Stephanie Jones, Allie Johnson and Kaitlin Hancock netted Duke's final goals of the contest. The Hokies got goals from Katie Russo and Michelle Patriquin in the final two minutes to close the gap to 20-7. Duke's goal total marked the fifth time in the history of the program the team has scored at least 20 goals in a contest.

Chrest's three-goal effort moved her into the first place tie in the Duke record books with 54 goals in a season. Tricia Martin, a three-time All-America selection, also had 54 goals for the Blue Devils during the 1998 season. Chrest is currently ranked in the top five of the Duke career record books in goals (4th - 136), assists (4th - 42), points (3rd - 178) and shots (2nd - 348).

Duke returns to action next weekend at the ACC Tournament. As the top-seed in the event the Blue Devils will face the winner of North Carolina versus Virginia Tech, while Virginia and Maryland will square off in the other semifinal match.