DATE: Friday, November 21, 1997             TAG: 9711210908

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: STORRS, CONN.                     LENGTH:   60 lines

ODU'S EVANS HOPES THE LAST TIME'S THE CHARM MONARCHS' SENIORS GET ONE MORE CRACK AT A NATIONAL TITLE IN FIELD HOCKEY.

Joey Evans' field-hockey career is rapidly drawing to a close. And while it's been a marvelous run, one thing is seriously missing.

After playing on three state championship teams at Cox High, Evans has yet to taste collegiate gold despite the fact she's been playing for the most successful program in college history.

For Evans and the other Old Dominion seniors, time's running out; this weekend is the last shot.

The Monarchs lost in last year's semifinals - the best finish since Evans has been with the program - and play at 2:45 p.m. today against Virginia in the semifinals at the University of Connecticut.

``I don't want to leave here without one,'' Evans said. ``I've got my three high school medals, but I want one of those rings.''

Evans has done her part, especially this season - when there were times opponents thought there were two of her on the field. The senior defender is all over the place.

One second they see her clearing a shot out of harm's way, the next she's sending in a pass for a Monarch score.

If Evans is to get the gold, she'll have to keep up that level of play.

``She's the type player who doesn't get a lot of goals, but you can't play without her,'' ODU coach Beth Anders said. ``If she's not on the field, we're not going to play well. That's true with a lot of people we have, but she's definitely a key.''

Evans scored the only two goals of her career this season and has assisted on 23 goals, most on penalty corners, where her role is to stop and tee up the inbounds pass for the player who is to take the shot.

But more important has been her defensive play - serving as team leader while enjoying carte blanche to move forward.

``Joey holds the defense together on the field; she's kind of a free safety-type player,'' Anders said. ``She's definitely a leader with her actions and she is constantly communicating. You need someone like that on the field.''

Teammates agree.

``Definitely,'' senior midfielder Heather Simon said. ``Joey's the greatest. She gives us confidence and she's kind of like the quarterback in there. She's talking to the defense and coming up and reinforcing the offense.

``When she's on, we seem to play pretty well.''

That was the case last Sunday, when ODU defeated Ball State 9-3 in a quarterfinal matchup. And hopefully, for ODU, it will be the case again this weekend.

``We're excited, but we know we have to stay focused,'' Evans said. ``We lost that focus last year, but we're stronger together as a team this year.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

``We're excited, but we know we have to stay focused,'' ODU's Joey

Evans said as the Monarchs prepared for today's semifinal against

Virginia at the University of Connecticut. ``We lost that focus last

year, but we're stronger together as a team this year.'' Evans, a

senior defender, played on three state championship teams at Cox

High in Virginia Beach but has yet to taste collegiate gold.

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