Duke Continues Dominance; Routs UVA
from press releases
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Duke continued its mastery of
Virginia with a 16-5 win over the Cavaliers in the semifinals of
the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship at Kenan Stadium in
Chapel Hill, N.C. The win is the Blue Devils second of the season
over Virginia and seventh in a row in the series dating back to
2005.
Duke advances to Sunday's championship game to face North Carolina
for the league title. North Carolina defeated Maryland 16-10 in
today's first semifinal contest.
The top-ranked Cavaliers are now 13-2 this season with both losses
coming to the Blue Devils. Duke, ranked sixth, is now 11-3.
Ned Crotty, the ACC Player of the Year, led the way for Duke with
four goals and four assists as 10 different players scored.
Shamel Bratton was Virginia's leading scorer with two goals. Danny
Glading had a goal and an assist. His assist was the 100th of his
career as he became only the sixth player in ACC history with to
score at least 100 career goals and add 100 assists.
Glading helped the Cavaliers take a lead 11 seconds into the
contest by taking a feed from Steele Stanwick on a fast break off
the opening faceoff.
Duke responded with a fast break goal of its own on the ensuing
faceoff as C.J. Costabile fed Crotty eight seconds later. The Blue
Devils scored on their first three shots of the game and built a
4-1 lead less than six minutes in.
Bratton scored just before the horn to end the first quarter but it
was the Cavaliers' final goal until midway through the fourth
quarter.
Duke scored twice in the second quarter to take a 7-2 halftime
lead. The Blue Devils stretched their lead to 11-2 with a four-goal
third quarter.
The Blue Devils scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter
before Bratton tallied an extra-man opportunity with 7:46
remaining. Bratton's goal ended a scoring drought of more than 37
minutes for Virginia. For the game Virginia was one-for-seven on
extra-man opportunities.
The Cavaliers will now await an at-large bid to the NCAA
Championship. Bids will be announced Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m. on
ESPNU and ESPNews.
