1999
University of Delaware Field
Hockey
9-12, 4-4
America
East
(FINAL)
• Latest
STX/NFHCA Top 20
Rankings
Delaware
in the Rankings:
Sept. 14: 20th
Summer
Field Hockey
Prospectus
(In
PDF format; must have recent version of
Netscape
or Adobe
Acrobat
Reader)
America
East Tournament Game Notes
America
East Tournament • Nickerson Field
• Boston, MA
No. 1
seed Boston U. (15-5, 8-0 America East)
vs. No. 4 Delaware (9-11, 4-4), 5
p.m.
No. 2
New Hampshire (11-6, 6-1) vs. No. 3
Northeastern (7-10, 6-2), 7:30
p.m.
Delaware
vs. Boston U. Series
Neither of
these teams are strangers to the America
East Tournament. Delaware qualfied for the
America East Tournament for the fourth
consecutive year, and fifth time in coach
Carol Miller's seven seasons at Delaware.
Boston University has qualified for all 10
tournaments since its inception in the
1990 season.
The game
is a match-up of one of the top defenses
in the nation against one of the top
offenses. As of Oct. 26, Delaware was No.
14 in Division I in scoring defense (1.51
GAA), while Boston University was No. 6 in
scoring offense (3.85 GPG).
Boston
University and Delaware have met twice
before in conference tournament action.
The Terriers won both of those meetings.
Including this year's regular season win
in Newark, Boston University holds an 8-2
advantage in the all-time
series.
In
addition, the Blue Hens are 0-5 at
Nickerson Field 0-4 against Boston
University and 0-1 against New Hampshire
(1994 America East Tournament).
Delaware
and Boston University played two of the
toughest schedules in the conference.
Delaware faced five teams that were ranked
at the time they played (which came in a
span of six games), while Boston
University played six ranked teams this
season. When taking into account this
week's NHFCA / STX Top 20 poll, Delaware
has faced seven teams that are currently
ranked (0-7).
Delaware
in the Postseason
Delaware
will be making its fifth appearance in the
conference tournament since joining
America East (then the North Atlantic
Conference) back in 1991. In four previous
appearances, Delaware has not won a
semifinal game. Below is a list of
results:
1994
(seeded No. 1) Semifinal -lost to No. 4
New Hampshire, 2-1
1996 (seeded No. 4) Semifinal -lost to No.
1 Boston U., 4-1
1997 (seeded No. 2)Semifinal - lost to No.
3 Boston U., 2-0
1998 (seeded No. 4) Semifinal - lost to
No. 1 Northeastern, 2-1
Players
to Watch
Rachel
Barger (Sr., F, Springfield, VA): Tied
for the team lead in assists with
seven...third on the team in scoring with
17 points this season (5g, 7a)...Has 52
points in her career (17g, 18a) to become
the 17th woman in school history to top
the 50-point mark...has three goals in
America East play this season...has
started 61 consecutive games over the last
three seasons...scored twice in win over
Northwestern earlier this year, tallying
the tying goal with three seconds
remaining in regulation and scoring the
game-winner in double-overtime...also
game-winning goals over Vermont and
Drexel.
Juli
Byrd (So., B, Pocomoke, MD):
Delaware's leading goal-scorer with
nine...tied for the team lead in points
with 18...UD's main weapon on penalty
corners...already has 39 career points in
only her sophomore season (16g, 7a)...has
four goals in America East play this
season...scored twice in 4-0 win over
Drexel 10/23...had two game-winning goals
this season (West Chester and
Lehigh)...sister, Jodi, was a standout on
UD squad from 1995-98.
Kelly
Ottati (Sr., GK, Hampton Bays, NY):
After spending most of her career as a
back-up, moved into starting role this
season...Became one of six women at UD to
record 200 career saves earlier this
season...had a shutout streak of 304
minutes earlier this season...during one
span this season, she allowed just two
goals in seven games...currently second in
America East in GAA (.01 behind Maine's
Danielle Burke), she could become the
first Delaware player to lead the league
in GAA...second in the conference in
minutes played this season with 1,413
(should pass Drexel's Heather Haigh Friday
night; Haigh has 1,440 minutes this
season).
Mia
Callahan (Sr., M, Contoocook, NH):Tied
for the team lead in scoring with 18
points (7g, 4a)...first season as a
full-time starter...has 29 career points
(10g, 9a).
Sara
Hills (Sr., F, Alexandria, VA): Second
on the UD all-time assist list with 27
entering the weekend...tied for the
team-lead with seven assists this
year...has been hampered by a back injury
the last few weeks of the regular season
(ended her consecutive start streak at 58
games 10/25 vs. Lafayette)...starts
Delaware's penalty corners.
Against
Northeastern & New
Hampshire
Against
Northeastern, the Huskies hold an 8-2
advantage in the series, including a win
over Delaware in last year's America East
Tournament semifinals...Against New
Hampshire, the Wildcats hold a 7-4
advantage after last week's regular season
win, 2-1, in Durham. UNH won the only
conference tournament meeting, back in the
1994 semifinals.
Stats
and Stuff
Delaware
coach Carol Miller is 84-52 in her
seven seasons with the Blue Hens and
170-103-18 in 15 seasons overall. Her win
total is the second-best in school
history, behind current Senior Associate
Athletic Director Mary Ann Hitchens
(196-76-33 from 1973-88). Hitchens coached
Miller at Delaware...If Delaware does not
win the America East title this weekend,
the Blue Hens will finish under .500 for
the first time under Miller. It would be
the first time one of her teams finished
below .500 since 1991 when she was at
Millersville (7-8-1) the only time in her
career a team finished below .500...When
the Blue Hens hold the opponent to one
goal or less, they are 8-1 this season,
however, when they allow two or more goals
this season, they are 1-10 (the win vs.
Northwestern in double-overtime)...On the
other side of the coin, Delaware is 7-1
when scoring two or more goals this season
(the loss coming at Ball State (3-2),
which is currently ranked No. 13). UD is
2-10 when held to one goal or
less.
Copyright,
© 1997, University of Delaware. All
rights reserved.
Please direct Athletics questions to the
Sports
Information
office.
|
