LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University field hockey team will wrap up the 2016 regular season this weekend with a pair of road games.
A Friday (October 28) Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) game at Massachusetts (2 p.m.) and a Saturday (October 29) game at Holy Cross (3:05 p.m.) will cap a four-game road swing to close the 2016 regular season.
Setting the stage:
The Bald Eagles enter the final weekend of the regular season at 9-7 overall and 4-3 in A-10.
Friday's conference game at UMass will be a huge one for the Bald Eagles as they look to earn a spot in the A-10 Tournament. LHU currently sits in a tie for fourth in the A-10 standings. The top-four teams in the A-10 qualifying for the tournament.
All-time vs. Massachusetts & Holy Cross:
Friday marks the ninth all-time meeting between LHU and UMass. Last season, Lock Haven beat UMass for the first time in school history, 2-0. Massachusetts is 7-1 all-time vs. LHU. Saturday's game at Holy Cross marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Fueling the offense:
Tamia Roach (7G & 5A) and
Lydia George (6G & 7A) each have 19 points on the season. George has three game-winning goals on the season.
Dana-Lee De Gannes has seven goals and Michelle Enck has five.
D-FENCE a key:
On the season, LHU has recorded five shutouts thanks to a strong defensive unit led by
Stephanie Whiteman, who has six defensive saves. Whiteman's six defensive saves are the most by any individual player in the A-10 and LHU's eight defensive saves also lead the conference. Both
Rachael Martinelli and
Tabatha Almond have one defensive save.
Strong goaltending:
Despite the double-OT loss Sunday (Oct. 23) at Bucknell, LHU goalkeeper
Paige Stuppy was brilliant and finished 12 saves. She is the goalie of record in every game for Lock Haven this season and has made 71 saves on the season (16 games).
Haven seniors:
Prior to the Bald Eagles last home game on Sunday, October 16, LHU honored its seven seniors:
Lydia George,
Megan Wenrich,
Colleen McCabe,
Tabatha Almond,
Stephanie Whiteman,
Paige Stuppy and student-assistant coach
Kiersten Cepeda. The senior class is responsible for 50 career wins and two A-10 semifinal appearances.
A-10 Standings:
*as of Monday, October 24
1. Saint Joseph's: 13-5, 7-0 A-10
T2. Massachusetts: 10-7, 5-2 A-10
T2. Richmond: 7-9, 4-3 A-10
T4. Lock Haven: 9-7, 4-3 A-10
T4. La Salle: 7-8, 4-3 A-10
5. Saint Francis: 10-7, 3-4 A-10
6. Davidson: 6-12, 2-5 A-10
7. VCU: 5-11, 1-6 A-10
8. Saint Louis: 2-12, 0-6 A-10
A closer look at the A-10 standings:
LHU needs a win on Friday at UMass to help the Bald Eagles chances of securing a spot in the upcoming A-10 Tournament. The Lock Haven faithful will also have their eyes "scoreboard watching" the La Salle – Saint Francis game. Currently LHU and La Salle are tied for fourth in the standings, but La Salle holds a tiebreaker-advantage on Lock Haven thanks to a win earlier in the year.
LHU's 2016 A-10 Players of the Week:
Paige Stuppy (9/26/16)
Alyscia Smith (10/10/16)
