THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611030182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 60 lines
It's unlikely mere coincidence explains why 42 percent of the players on a national Division II field hockey power come from one city. So how come eight Virginia Beach players are Longwood Lancers?
``I have no idea,'' freshman Melanie Panza (Ocean Lakes) said.
``Don't ask me,'' replied senior Kelly Callan (Princess Anne).
Certainly, the city's status as one of the state's premier field hockey areas, the fact that Longwood is the alma mater of several Beach District coaches, including Cox's Nancy Fowlkes, and the school's academic reputation have something to do with it.
But the way the players figure it, with the team playing as well as it has, why ask why? When the Lancers finished their regular season Wednesday, they'd completed their best campaign since most of the team's seniors were born (1975).
Monday, the Lancers hope to be invited to either the Division II NCAA or ECAC title game Nov. 9. Coach Janet Grubbs admits an NCAA berth is a longshot, but said she'll be very disappointed if they don't get a shot at the ECAC crown.
``We feel like we still have some hockey to play,'' Grubbs said.
Junior forward Melissa Miranda (Kempsville), junior midfielder Lori Clark (First Colonial), sophomore defenders Catherine Howard (Kellam) and Emma Pehovaz-Diez (Cox), freshman defender Melanie Harris (Tallwood) and freshman keeper Kim Iman (Cox) join Panza and Callan to comprise the Lancers' Virginia Beach contingent.
``But the whole team gets along really well, not just the girls from Virginia Beach,'' Panza said. ``We've become like one big happy group.''
Virtually all of the local stars have contributed heavily to the team's success. Callan, who earned the school's most recent women's player of the week award, leads the team in scoring with 23 points. Iman started every game in her rookie season and had a hand in the team's nine shutouts.
Clark, a second-team All-American a year ago, chipped in seven points, one more than Miranda. Howard started in 12 of 14 games.
And Panza may be the best story of them all. A walk-on at the start of the year, Panza impressed Grubbs so much she earned a scholarship and a starting job by the season's midway point.
Pehovaz-Diez and Harris are expected to be key contributors next season, Grubbs said.
WATER WORKS: Sophomore Ward Cromwell and junior John Torgerson are competing in the Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association District Championships in Annapolis, Md., this weekend. The top four finishers will qualify for next weekend's Collegiate National Championships in Charleston, S.C. Torgerson, a former All-American, did not sail for the Monarchs last year, as he was training with the U.S. National team and vying for a spot on the Olympic squad.
ROOKIE REPORT: The Virginia Tech soccer team's 1-0 victory over Appalachian State Wednesday gave the Hokies a school-record seven-game winning streak. Freshman Matt Whalen (Cox) assisted on the goal. Tech's 12 victories this year are a school record . . . Longwood freshman Claudia Watt (Green Run) leads the Longwood women's soccer team in scoring with 13 points. Another Lancers freshman, Heather Ayres (Indian River), has four goals . . . Ferrum freshman Emmanuel Baker (First Colonial) broke a school record for rushing attempts when he had 42 carries for 168 yards in a 12-9 overtime victory over Chowan on Oct. 19. The previous record was 30 carries. by CNB