College Park, Md. - UConn won its second straight NCAA Division I field hockey championship on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Syracuse.

It was the fourth national championship for the Huskies and second for coach Nancy Stevens, who won her first national title a year ago when UConn beat Duke in the final 2-0.

The Huskies, who finish 20-2, won their last 14 games, including a pair of 1-0 victories in the Final Four (UConn beat Albany in Friday's semifinals).

"We came in on Friday after our win and some of the media was so concerned because we didn't get a penalty corner and I thought, 'that's a defensive masterpiece,'" Stevens said. "I think if you are in the World Series and you get a no-hitter and score one run, what are they talking about? They're not saying you only got a run, they're saying you pitched a no-hitter. ... that was the goal. We pitched two no-hitters.

"We are just thrilled beyond measure."

UConn scored on its first shot of the game, taking advantage of the game's first corner. Charlotte Veitner inserted the ball to Chrissy Davidson, who made the stick-stop and fed the ball to Anna Middendorf. Middendorf blasted a shot on goal and McKenzie Townsend redirected into the upper-right corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

"It was such a team effort," Townsend said in describing her goal. "You have the person who gets the corner. The push-out has to be perfect, the stop has to be perfect and the strike in has to be to the right spot. I'm just the lucky one who gets to have the last touch on it."

Redshirt freshman goalie Nina Klein stopped four shots to earn her ninth shutout of the season, including one early in the game when she rushed out to kick a centering pass out of danger. Jess Jecko made two saves for Syracuse (18-6), which upset top-seeded North Carolina in the semifinals.

Roisin Upton, Middendorf, Davidson and Klein were named to the all-tournament team.

"This is what we play for our whole lives," Townsend said. "It's a dream to even come to a Division I school and then your dreams get bigger and you want to win the national title. Then you come and think it can't get any better than this until you get here again."