news-record.com

It's not something to dwell on, Jennifer Averill says on this resplendent late-summer afternoon. It's always best to move forward.

The way Wake Forest's field hockey coaches and players talk, you'd think they were trying to outrun the demons of a devastating loss. Instead, they speak of the 2002 NCAA championship. But only when asked.

Averill and her program didn't get to No. 1 on romantic reflection. For so long, there was no history upon which to reflect. Now there's a terrific on-campus stadium, a sextet of promising recruits and two trophies - one from the ACC, the other from the NCAA - that the coach will reluctantly dust off for public appearances.

"I've tried to steal them occasionally," athletics director Ron Wellman said jokingly, "and she won't let me."

Though seldom recognized, Wake's growth in field hockey is one of the hallmark achievements of the schools's recent history in athletics. When Averill arrived from Bucknell in 1992, the program had no scholarships. Her first freshman class, a dozen strong, split two grants among them. There were other issues.

"A marginal (recruiting) budget and we hadn't played a full Division I schedule," Averill said.

But Wellman, who made gender equity a priority when he arrived, promised gradual increases. The scholarship totals went from two to four to six and ultimately to the full complement of 12 by 1998, and the staff had the resources to scour the East Coast for talent. South of central Virginia, field hockey is only played in scattered pockets, which compels a recruiting budget.

"I thought that five years ago, overall, we were competitive in every aspect," Averill said. "And two or three years ago, I thought we were definitely in contention."

Kentner Stadium, a 4,000-seat artificial-turf venue, had been built in 1997 and nationally elite players began showing up in Deacons colors.

Among them was midfielder Kelly Doton , who had scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the Massachusetts state championship game in high school. Doton arrived and helped recruit a former prep competitor, Kelly Dostal, to the program. Things were starting to fall into place.

"Through talking to her and learning about the program, I knew this school had great potential," said Dostal, now a junior. "But we were the underdogs when I came in."

North Carolina had won NCAA titles from 1995-97, and Maryland had three championships in its history, meaning Wake didn't have to go far to find elite competition.

The Deacons earned the program's first breakthrough with a Final Four appearance in 2000, but the campaign ended with a 6-0 loss to Old Dominion in a semifinal. That one would not be forgotten.

As it turned out, Averill had recruited the foundation for defensive excellence, going all the way to British Columbia to pluck Lucy Shaw, the youngest member of Canada's under-21 national team when selected at age 17. Signing a player of that caliber and location once was impossible for Wake.

Last year, freshman Kelly Wood played in all 22 games and combined with goalie Katie Ridd (0.73 goals-against average) to give the Deacs a virtually unbeatable back line.

As they entered the 2002 NCAA tournament, the Deacons knew they had allowed only one goal in their past three games against nationally ranked opposition. They started talking among themselves.

"I knew this team was out to prove something," Dostal said.

"They made this secret pact that I didn't know about," Averill said. "Had they told me, I would have told them not to burden that."

The goal was to win the tournament by shutting out all four opponents, something nobody had done since Old Dominion in 1992. California fell 8-0, Duke went down 2-0 and Michigan State absorbed a 3-0 defeat. Only Penn State, which had plastered Wake Forest two years earlier, remained. The Nittany Lions fell 2-0.

"We're not looking to repeat," Dostal said. "We're looking to win a new title."

The quest gets a difficult test from the start. The Deacs, who have almost everybody back from last year's club, play Big Ten powers Iowa and Michigan, Wake's predecessor as national champion, in Ann Arbor on Sunday and Monday.

"This is a different season," Averill said. "We understand that the competition is every bit as tough this season. (The title) is something we're proud of, but that's not today."

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com