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#8 JMU HANDLES #16 AMERICAN IN TOP 20 SHOWDOWN
10/10/2007 4:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
HARRISONBURG, Va., Oct. 10, 2007 ? Freshman Dolores de Rooij (Vlaardingen, The Netherlands/Erasmiaans) scored two goals and the Walls triplets accounted for a goal and two assists as James Madison University defeated American University 3-1 in a non-conference field hockey match on Wednesday evening at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.
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JMU, ranked eighth in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, improved to 12-2 overall and won its seventh in a row. AU, ranked 16th, dropped to 10-4 and has lost four of its last six matches after an 8-0 start. The Dukes improved to 3-2 against ranked teams while the Eagles fell to 1-3. JMU has its best record through 14 matches since the 1995 squad opened 13-2.
De Rooij opened the scoring for the Dukes just 3:38 into the match on what proved to be the game-winning goal, the first of her career. Junior Lauren Walls (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) drove the field on a breakaway and passed through an American defender where de Rooij was able to fire the open shot. It was the team-best seventh assist of the season for Walls.
JMU”s second goal came in the 16th minute when an American defender was called for a hard foul in the circle on Lauren Walls, giving the Dukes their first regulation penalty stroke of the season. Junior Melissa Walls (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional), who converted 3-of-4 opportunities last year, sent it in for her fifth goal of the season. JMU is now 5-for-5 overall on stroke attempts counting the four conversions in a stroke-off victory over Penn State earlier in the season.
The Dukes dominated possession for the first 25 minutes as the Eagles did not take a shot until 10:24 remained. JMU led the first half in shots 8-1 and penalty corners 3-1.
