SECOND HALF ONSLAUGHT CARRIES #5 JMU PAST NORTHEASTERN 5-0

Friday, October 31

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

Northeastern

SECOND HALF ONSLAUGHT CARRIES #5 JMU PAST NORTHEASTERN 5-0

10/31/2008 4:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

HARRISONBURG, Va., Oct. 31, 2008 ? After a scoreless halftime tie, James Madison erupted for five second-half scores in a 5-0 victory over Northeastern in a Colonial Athletic Association field hockey match on Friday night at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.

JMU, ranked fifth nationally in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, improved to 16-2 overall. The Dukes completed the regular season at 8-0 in the CAA, the first perfect conference record by JMU since 1995. NU fell to 7-12 overall and 1-6 in the CAA.

Senior Ashley Walls (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) had three assists to aid the JMU effort. Junior Meghan Bain (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) contributed her first two-goal game of the season, which included the game-winning goal, the 18^th of her career.

JMU recorded its 10^th shutout in 18 matches this season, improving a shutouts-per-game mark that led the nation entering the week. The Dukes have earned shutout wins in five of their last seven matches and have outscored opponents 17-2 over that stretch.

The Dukes led the Huskies in shots 23-2 and penalty corners 4-1. Junior Kelsey Cutchins (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland) had one save in 67 minutes for JMU. She combined with redshirt junior Kristen O'Rourke (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) on the shutout. Senior Colleen Duffy had 11 saves for the Huskies.

After coming up empty on 12 first-half shots, Bain changed JMU's fortunes with the first shot of the second half. On a three-on-one break in the 40^th minute, sophomore Dolores de Rooij (Vlaardingen, The Netherlands/Erasmiaans) drove the middle and passed right to Walls. Walls found a lane and passed back to the middle to Bain, who connected from four yards out for the game winner.

Five minutes later, sophomore Amy Daniel (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) collected a loose ball just to the left of the top of the circle. Her rocket blast skipped past Duffy and