With redshirt freshman goalkeeper Stephanie Poucher in goal and a pair of freshmen leading the attack, JMU (12-1-1) is riding a school record eight-game unbeaten streak. It's tied with Georgia for the best winning percentage in the nation at .893.
Things didn't look good when Diane Wszalek, who started the first two games of the season, was injured against Virginia Tech and lost for the season with a knee injury.
Missy Reimert was outstanding after Wszalek went down. She had a 0.66 goals-against average when she was also lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in practice.
Poucher's first game was three days later against CAA power William & Mary, which had beaten North Carolina earlier in the school, but she shut out the Tribe, 1-0. Two days later, Freshman speedster Cate Tisinger scored three consecutive goals in the final 15 minutes to give the Dukes a 4-2 victory over Old Dominion, which had beaten them in last year's CAA tournament championship game.
Injuries had been a problem last season when the Dukes opened with five straight losses before putting together a strong run in the second half of the season. The confidence gained in JMU's run to last year's CAA final has carried over to this season.
"We just know that we're gonna win," said senior forward Annie Lowry told the Harrisonburg Daily News Record. "We don't have a doubt in our mind."
Lowry is tied with Tisinger for the team lead in goals with seven. Tisinger remains in the lead in points (22) and assists (8) in the CAA. Freshman Teresa Rynier is just behind Tisinger in assists with seven.
Long-time Madison coach Dave Lombardo likes the confidence his players are showing in face of the rash of injuries.
"I think our attitude right now is: The show must go on," he told the Daily News Record. "We are riding something really special."
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