Soccer Set for Opening ACC Championship Tilt
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — After successfully taking down No. 1 Florida State in their regular season finale at Cobb Stadium, the Miami Hurricanes travel to Maryland’s Ludwig Field Sunday for their opening Atlantic Coast Conference Championship match-up with the ninth-ranked Terrapins. Game time for the contest has been moved from 1 p.m. to 10 a.m. in anticipation of inclement weather.
The Hurricanes needed late-game heroics from sophomore forward Ashley Flinn to successfully knock off the nation’s No. 1 team for the first time in program history. Flinn’s dramatic goal, which came in the 89th minute, gave her team the three points needed to qualify for the annual conference tournament. With Virginia’s decisive 5-1 victory over Boston College, which occurred after Miami’s win Thursday night, the Hurricanes locked up a berth in the eight-team tournament for the first time since 2008.
The Hurricanes (9-6-3, 4-4-2 ACC) mark their return to the Ludwig Field pitch just ten days after knocking off then-No. 7 Maryland 1-0 in overtime. Senior Jordan Roseboro‘s first goal of the season came at a crucial time for head coach Tom Anagnost, whose side was down two players late in the contest. His potential lineup will be bolstered by the return of veteran defenders Ali Brennan and Maddie Simms.
In need of some late-season magic to qualify for the tournament, the Hurricanes faced a daunting challenge in remaining match-ups with then-No. 19 Virginia Tech, Maryland, No. 21 Boston College and No. 1 Florida State to close out their season. But Miami took eight of a possible 12 points over that stretch, holding those four opponents scoreless over a combined streak of 408 minutes, while finishing 2-0-2.
Paced by sophomore goalkeeper Emily Lillard, Miami has not allowed a goal in 447 consecutive minutes dating back to an Oct. 11 match-up with Virginia. Despite playing without some of its key defensive contributors, Miami held the Seminoles scoreless for the first time all season. Lillard ended the regular season ranked fifth in goals against average (0.90), second in save percentage (.810), second in shutouts (eight) and second in saves (64).
The Hurricanes will need a strong offensive showing if they hope to leave Ludwig Field victorious for the second time in less than two weeks. Miami received dominant offensive performances from Flinn and junior Tara Schwitter in Thurday’s win over the first-ranked Noles, as the two combined for four of the team’s nine shots and multiple dangerous chances.
For complete information on the 2012 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship, including the complete schedule, ticket information and more, click here.
All of Sunday’s quarterfinal matches will kick-off at 1 p.m. The winners advance to WakeMed Soccer Park at Cary, N.C., for semifinals on Friday, Nov. 2 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. The Championship will take place on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. The semifinal and championship matches will be shown nationally via ESPN platforms, with the semifinals set for ESPN3 and the title game for ESPNU.
