Duke Tops Women's Lacrosse, 10-5

Friday, April 20

Orlando, Fla.

3:30 PM ET

North Carolina

Duke

Stone Named ACC Co-Player of the Week in Women's Lacrosse

April 20, 2001 | Women's Lacrosse

By: UNC Athletic Communications

April 20, 2001

ORLANDO, Fla. -- No. 2 seed Duke advanced to the ACC women's lacrosse championship game for the first time in school history after defeating No. 3 seed North Carolina, 10-5 at Disney's Wide World of Sports.The Blue Devils (12-2 and #4 IWLCA) had lost in the ACC semifinals in each of the four previous events. North Carolina (#6 IWLCA) falls to 9-5 overall.

Junior midfielder Kate Kaiser (Cockeysville, Md.) tied her career-high with five goals in the victory. It marked the fifth time in her career Kaiser scored five in a game and third time this season -- once against each of the other teams in the ACC. She also scored a quintet on March 2 vs. Maryland and April 7 vs. Virginia. The other five goals came from five different players. Kate Soulier (Chadds Ford, Pa.) recorded a pair of assists for the Blue Devils.

Kaiser scored her final two goals in the second half as Duke outscored the Heels 4-2 in the stanza to record the win by a five-goal margin.

North Carolina cut the lead to 6-3 late in the first half as Kellie Thompson (Grasonville, Md.) scored twice, sandwiched around a Duke goal by Claire Finn (Newton, Mass.).

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 5-1 lead with eight minutes left in the first half on three free position goals and a pair of unassisted tallies. In that 5-0 run, Kaiser scored three straight goals and Kelly Dirks (Annapolis, Md.) and Cheryl Lynn Horton (Walnut Creek, Calif.) each scored once in the run. North Carolina had opened the game with a free position shot goal by Lindsay Stone (Stony Brook, N.Y.), 1:54 into the contest, but Kaiser's natural hat trick nade it 3-1 midway through the first half.

Duke faces the No. 1 seed Maryland (14-0) in the ACC final. The Terps advanced after a 7-6 win over No. 4 seed Virginia in the first semifinal. The ACC championship game will take place on Sunday at noon at the Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. The game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports South and Sunshine Network.