Maryland, Princeton, Virginia, N. Carolina advance to final four in NCAA field hockey

The opening weekend of the 2009 NCAA Division I Field Hockey playoffs served up plenty of good action, but ultimately no surprises, as the top seeds all advanced to the semifinals. Defending champion Maryland, as well as Virginia, North Carolina and Princeton reached the final four.

The Terrapins advanced in a breeze, whipping American 6-1 and Drexel 5-0. They’ll next face Princeton, 4-0 winners over Stanford and 7-3 victors over Syracuse. Virginia blanked Richmond 3-0, but had to work overtime to get past Michigan State 3-2. They’ll match up next against North Carolina, twice winners by a 4-1 margin over Ohio State and then Wake Forest.

The semifinals will be played Friday, followed by the championship game Nov. 22, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Want to follow online? Use this interactive bracket.