Offense Powers Duke Past JMU 9-1

Sunday, October 9

Durham, N.C.

1:00 PM

Duke University

James Madison

Offense Powers Duke Past JMU 9-1

10/9/2011 3:14:00 PM | Field Hockey

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. - Sophomore Emmie Le Marchand recorded her first career hat trick and six different Blue Devils scored goals as the eighth-ranked Duke field hockey team routed James Madison 9-1 Sunday afternoon from Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium. Duke's nine goals marks the Blue Devils' highest scoring output since defeating Appalachian State 10-1 on October 25, 2008.

Le Marchand led the way for the Blue Devils, now 8-5 overall (2-2 ACC), with three goals on four shots. Senior Tara Jennings totaled two goals, while juniors Devon Gagliardi and Mary Nielsen along with freshmen Jessica Buttinger and Martine Chichizola each tallied a goal. Duke held a 6-1 lead at the half, and outshot James Madison (5-7, 2-3 CAA) 30-3 for the game. En route to their highest scoring output of the season, the Blue Devils placed 21 shots on goal in addition to earning nine penalty corners to three for James Madison.

"Today the focus was to see what we could create as a team and how we could finish," said head coach Pam Bustin. "Twenty-one shots on goal with nine going in, that's a pretty good statistic after having the battle that we did yesterday. I'm really proud of the team for taking to heart what it is we wanted to do, and then really executing it. This is something we can feel good about as we move forward and get ready for next weekend."

With the score tied at 0-0 early in the game, Chichizola netted a rebound off a Buttinger shot to record her second goal in as many games and give Duke the early lead. The advantage was short-lived, however, as James Madison responded with a goal from Courtney Versfeld less than a minute later.

The Blue Devils took the lead for good in the 17^th minute with Nielsen scoring her third goal of the year, assisted by senior Rhian Jones, off of a penalty corner opportunity. The assist was the first of two for Jones for the game, bringing her season total to a team-leading four.

The outstanding effort on the offensive end continued over the next 10 minutes with Duke adding goals from Gagliaridi, assisted by sophomore Caashia Karringten, and Buttinger to take a 4-1 lead. Duke would add two more goals, one each from Jennings and Le Marchand, in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 6-1 lead into halftime.

The Blue Devils did not let up following the intermission. Jennings scored her second goal of the day off a shot from the right side in the 47^th minute to extend Duke's lead to 7-1, before Le Marchand ended the game with goals in the 58^th and 63^rd minutes. Both of Le Marchand's second half goals came off of rebounds as the Worcester, England, native bolstered her team-leading total to 11 goals this season.

"We got off to a little bit of a slow start as far as our full-field organization and alertness," added Bustin. "I think we were so focused on wanting to get the goals, but then we found our rhythm and we set into what we had to do as a team. They feel good about how they're playing because we're playing well, and the results are going to come. We're out here to win and that's what we're developing right now: being a winner."

Duke travels to Virginia next weekend for a pair of non-conference games. First up, the Blue Devils take on the Tribe of William & Mary in a 1 p.m., bout on Saturday, Oct. 15. Duke will then face Old Dominion for the second time this season, challenging the top-ranked Lady Monarchs at 1 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 16.

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