#8 JMU ADVANCES TO CAA FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Saturday, November 3

Virginia Beach, Va.

2:30 p.m.

James Madison University

Drexel

11/3/2007 4:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Nov. 3, 2007 ? Second-seeded James Madison University posted its fourth consecutive shutout in ousting third-seeded Drexel University 3-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association field hockey tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. National Training Center.

JMU, ranked eighth in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I poll, improved to 17-3 overall while keeping intact the second-best start in school history. Drexel fell to 12-9.

The Dukes will advance to Sunday afternoon's 1 p.m. championship match against top-seeded and 10^th-ranked Old Dominion University. It will be a rematch of last year's championship tilt that went to JMU 1-0. It will be the 10^th meeting between the two schools out of 17 championship matches in CAA history. ODU has won 13 titles while JMU has two.

The shutout of the Dragons was the 10^th overall this season for the Dukes, fourth in a row, and second this year against Drexel. JMU entered the match ranked second in the nation in shutouts per game. It was also the third straight shutout win in CAA tournament play.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Cutchins (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland), the 2007 CAA Player of the Year, had her fifth solo shutout of the season with four saves in the match. She entered the weekend ranked second in the country in goals against average and seventh in save percentage and improved those numbers to 0.81 and .808.

Senior back Lauren Stefaniak (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) had the first goal to stake JMU to a 1-0 halftime lead. The score came with 8:33 left in the first half and was her first career game-winning goal in her 79^th career game.

First Team All-CAA junior forward Melissa Stefaniak (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) scored the second goal to add to the lead at the 47:46 mark. It was her team-leading 12^th goal of the season. Freshman Dolores de Rooij (Vlaardingen