THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 1, 1996 TAG: 9609010226
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 56 lines
Old Dominion field hockey coach Beth Anders likes to talk about her Lady Monarchs as a unit. But they are really a force.
A force that could give Anders, already the winningest coach in the sport's history, her 300th victory this season. And a force that could contend for the program's eighth national title, boosted by the signing of Cox High School's Kim Miller, the third-leading scorer in national high school history.
But none of that means much to Anders - right now at least. ``We're just working hard as a team,'' says the coach in her 15th year who has compiled a 284-37-7 record. ``We're supporting each other and working on becoming a unit.''
If the Lady Monarchs, who play an alumni game today at 1 p.m. at Foreman Field then open the season at home Monday afternoon at 1 against Duke, are anything like the units of the past, they'll be winners. ODU finished last year with a No. 6 national ranking after falling in the NCAA quarterfinals to Maryland. They've won three national championships in the last five years and have competed in all 14 NCAA tournaments.
Gone from last year's squad that finished 16-9: seven letter winners, including Samantha Salvia, goalkeeper Kim Decker and defensive specialist Dani Derr. Salvia, the school's first Rhodes scholar and an All-American, ranked fourth nationally in assists with 22. Decker, also an All-American goalkeeper, recorded 56 career shutouts.
``Whenever you lose people, it's hard,'' Anders said. ``As far as our defense goes, Danielle Chellew is stepping up and I think all of our players are.''
Chellew, a senior midfielder, scored 25 goals last season, sixth in the nation. Other key returnees include Ocean Lakes High grad Mimi Smith, the CAA Rookie of the Year with eight goals; midfielder Heather Eastburn, who scored three goals; and forward Heather Hess, who had two goals.
The Lady Monarchs should get a boost from Miller, who led Cox to state championships each year she was there. Miller is a member of the U.S. under-21 team.
``Our program is very much team-oriented and Kim, coming from where she did, is used to that,'' Anders said.
The other key newcomer: Corissa Hendon of Ewing Township, N.J. Hendon was Central New Jersey's leading scorer and earned all-state honors.
Concerning the team's schedule, Anders refuses to look ahead to a list that includes two games against defending national champion North Carolina. ``With me, the most important game is Duke,'' she says of the opener.
Other important games on the schedule: Michigan, NCAA finalist Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and defending CAA champ James Madison.
The Oct. 26 game against the Tar Heels at Foreman Field has been dubbed ``Foreman Field Hockey Frenzy,'' as the Lady Monarchs try to break the NCAA field hockey single-game attendance record of 3,096. It's their own record, set during the 1992 national championships in Richmond. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Danielle Chellew, a midfielder, was sixth in the nation with 25
goals last season. by CNB