Field Hockey Closes Season with Trips to Hofstra and #17 Drexel
October 29, 2010
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File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
• Live Stats vs Hofstra
• Live Stats vs. Drexel
NEWARK, Del. - - The University of Delaware field hockey team hits the road once again for its final road trip of the 2010 season, playing at Hofstra on Friday at 3 p.m. before finishing the season against rival #17 Drexel on Sunday at noon.
Delaware (7-9, 1-5 CAA) will look to play spoiler against Drexel (12-4, 5-1 CAA) and knock them lower into the standings, en route to getting the team back to .500 to end the season with wins against the Dragons and Hofstra (6-10, 1-5 CAA).
Last Time Out: The Blue Hens fell out of playoff contention last Friday with the overtime loss at Towson, 3-2.
Senior back Michelle Drummonds scored both goals for the Blue Hens, as they got on the scoreboard first with a goal in the third minute of action. Off a penalty corner, Drummonds maneuvered around a defender in the box, blasting a shot by the Tiger’s goalkeeper.
Towson went on to score the next two goals to move ahead of the Hens heading into the final 10 minutes.
After a flurry of five penalty corners, Drummonds lifted a shot, beating Whitney Clugston over her shoulder and into the back of the net for the tying goal with 9:35 to play.
The overtime period didn’t take long, however, as the Tigers scored 2:18 into the period to claim the victory.
The two goals were Drummonds’ 10th of the season, a team high. She also has four assists, totaling 24 points on the year. Drummonds also leads the team in shots with 69 and shots on goal with 39. Sophomore Melissa LeNoir is second the team with six goals, adding one assist for a total of 13 points. Senior Missy Woodie leads the team in assists, tallying six so far this season.
Goalkeeper Noelle Diana made seven stops against Towson, bringing her season total to a conference best 93 saves. She also leads the conference while making 5.81 stops per game.
Scouting Hofstra: The Pride, who jumped out to a 5-3 start to the season, have struggled since, winning once in the last eight contests, including a current three-game losing skid. Hofstra lost its third starter prior to last weekend's road trip when junior Genna Kovar, a 2009 All-American third team selection and an All-CAA first team pick, was lost for the remainder of the season with a hand injury suffered in practice on October 16. Kovar, who has tallied nine goals and a team-high six assists in 14 games this year, joins sophomore Krizia Layne, who was lost for the year with a knee injury sustained at VCU on October 3 after recording seven goals and three assists in 12 games, and senior Amy-Lee Levey, who was lost for the season following a car accident last winter.
The Pride are coming off a loss at Maine on Sunday, 7-1. Arielle Williams scored her 12th goal of the season off a pass from Micaela Gallagher, following a penalty corner. Hofstra has won one game (3-0 vs. William & Mary on Oct. 10) in its last eight tries coming into this weekend.
Junior Arielle Williams has taken over the offensive leadership role and has scored a team-high 12 goals and added three assists in 16 games. Junior Darrah Rachman has chipped in with four goals and two assists while graduate-student Diane Caldwell has added three goals and one assist. Senior Becky Kazaks had contributed two goals and two assists. In goal, junior Amanda Heyde has played in all 16 games and recorded a 3.19 goals against average with a .664 save percentage.
Last season, the Blue Hens defeated Hofstra, 4-1, at Rullo Stadium. The Blue Hens hold the all-time record, winning 19 of 24 games against the Pride.
Scouting #17 Drexel: The Dragons had their nine game winning streak snapped by Northeastern on Sunday for their first conference loss of the season. It also knocked them down one notch in the latestKookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll to 17.
With wins in their final two games, the Dragons would clinch at least a share of the Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship and the right to host the 2010 CAA Championships.
Last season, the Dragons beat the Blue Hens in the regular season finale, 4-2, but lost the more important game, 1-0, in the CAA Championship game, sending the Blue Hens to their second CAA Championship title.
Christina Mastropaolo leads the CAA in goals per game and points per game in conference games. She has had nine goals and 20 points this season as she has helped Drexel to a 5-1 CAA mark thus far. Classmates Susan Ciufo and Kim Tunell has also been key to the Dragons' success as Tunell leads the team with nine assists this season while Ciufo has 10 goals and five assists in 2010.
Jenna Phillips is their leading goaltender, giving up 25 goals in 16 games. She has tallied 70 saves, posting a 1.58 goals against average.
After splitting last seasons games, Delaware holds a 20-5 advantage in the all-time series against the Dragons.
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