1999
University of Delaware Women's
Soccer
8-9-1, 6-3
America
East
(FINAL)
AMERICA
EAST TOURNAMENT GAME NOTES
America
East Semifinals
Al-Marzook
Field • West Hartford,
CT
No.
1 seed Hartford (13-4-2, 9-0-0) vs. No. 4
Delaware (8-8-1, 6-3-0)
Delaware
vs. Hartford
Delaware
vs. Hartford Series
Neither
of these teams are strangers to the
America East Tournament. Delaware and
Hartford are tied for the most appearances
in the conference tournament, with both
appearing in five of the six tournaments
that have been held. Delaware failed to
make the conference tournament last year
for the first time since its inception in
1994. Hartford failed to make the
tournament in 1996.
Delaware
and Hartford will meet for the fourth time
in the conference tournament. Hartford has
won all three meetings between the two
teams. Today is the second time the teams
have met in the semifinal
round.
Delaware
in the Postseason
Delaware
will be making a return to the conference
tournament today after a one-year absence.
The Blue Hens missed the America East
Tournament last year for the first time
since its inception in 1994.
Delaware
is 2-4 in conference tournament play.
Below is a list of Delaware's results in
conference tournament play:
1994
(two-team tournament, seeded No. 2) -
Final - lost to No. 1 Hartford,
4-1
1995
(seeded No. 2) - Semifinal - def. No. 3
New Hampshire,
2-0
Final
- lost to No. 1 Hartford, 3-0
(OT)
1996
(seeded No. 3) - Semifinal def. No. 2 New
Hampshire,
3-0
Final
- lost to No. 4 Towson, 2-1 (4
OT)
1997
(seeded No. 4) - Semifinal - lost to No. 1
Hartford, 5-0
Players
to Watch
Mandy
Merritt (5-5, Jr., M, Grimsby,
Ontario, Canada): Delaware's leading
scorer this season with 18 points...also
leads team with six goals and six
assists...has 19 goals in her career to
rank fourth all-time at UD...her 13
assists ties her for fifth all-time at UD
with current assistant coach Jess
Reynolds...her 51 career points makes her
the fourth woman in school history to
surpass the 50-point mark joining Beth
Hatt (106), Kristy Hendrickson (97) and
Beth Gregory (92)...had three goals in
season-opening win at LaSalle 9/5,
including the game-winner in overtime to
complete the hat trick...she was the fifth
woman at Delaware to record a hat trick
and first since Kate Townsley on Sept. 11,
1996 (vs. Loyola-MD)...had a goal and
three assists in 4-1 win over Northeastern
10/24...has two game-winning goals this
season vs. LaSalle (in OT) and
Northeastern...has recorded eight points
(2g, 4a) in conference play this
season...has appeared in all 17 games this
season with 15 starts.
Nicole
Spadafino (5-6, Sr., F, Old Bridge,
NJ): Blue Hens' No. 2 scorer this season
with 10 points (4g, 2a)...a second-team
All-America East selection the last two
seasons after earning all-conference
honors as a freshman (only one team
selected)...recorded a goal and an assist
on "senior day" as Delaware defeated
Northeastern, 4-1, 10/24...has appeared in
all 17 games this season with 15
starts.
Stephanie
Schmucker (5-5, Jr., D, Rutledge, PA):
Transferred from Villanova to Delaware
last spring and has been the anchor of the
Blue Hen defense...has also recorded three
points on a goal at Maine 10/15 and an
assist on the game-winner in
double-overtime at Vermont
10/31.
Rachel
Bersin (5-8, Fr., GK, Old Bridge, NJ):
Has started 15 of Delaware's 17 games this
season...did not play at Towson 9/25 and
did not start at Hofstra 9/29 due to a
concussion she suffered vs. St. Joseph's
(PA) 9/19...has recorded three shutouts,
all in conference action...recorded a 1.04
GAA in the month of October with a 5-3-1
record (losses to No. 18 Richmond, Boston
University and Hartford).
Looking
for a Change
Delaware
will look for a change of luck today. The
Blue Hens are 1-7 at Al-Marzook field,
having only beaten New Hampshire in the
1995 semifinals. All of Delaware's other
games at Al-Marzook have been against
Hartford (0-7).
Hartford
leads the overall series, 11-1. The lone
Delaware win came in Newark in
1996.
Stats
and Stuff
In
his 10th season as coach at Delaware
(longest tenure in America East), coach
Scott Grzenda is 97-75-9 overall
(.561)...Delaware is 6-2 this season when
scoring two or more goals...Delaware's six
overtime games this season tied the
team-record for overtime games in a season
(also had six in 1996)...Delaware is 3-2-1
in overtime this season and 7-11-8 under
Grzenda (when the program became
intercollegiate in 1990)...Delaware has
outshot its opponent in 11 out of 17 games
this season; the Blue Hens are 7-3-1 in
those games (losses at UMBC in overtime,
vs. St. Joseph's (PA) and at No. 18
Richmond).
Copyright,
© 1997, University of Delaware. All
rights reserved.
Please direct Athletics questions to the
Sports
Information
office.
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