2019 Postseason Game/Media Notes

After a successful 2019 regular season, the Lock Haven University field hockey team now eyes a postseason run after the Bald Eagles have qualified for a spot in the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
 
The Bald Eagles, the No. 4 seed, will take on top-seed Saint Joseph's on Friday, November 9 at 11 a.m.
 
Setting the stage:
LHU finished the regular season with a 6-2 A-10 record, which locked Lock Haven, Massachusetts and Richmond in a three-way tie by way of identical 6-2 records. After the dust settled, the Bald Eagles found themselves with the No. 4 seed. In the first of two semifinals Friday (Nov. 8), Lock Haven will play A-10 power Saint Joseph's, the top seed, at 11 a.m.
 
Richmond, the No. 3 seed, is the host institution and will play No. 2 seed Massachusetts on Friday at 2 p.m.
 
The championship game is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 9 at Richmond's Crenshaw Field.
 
Scouting the opponent:
Saint Joseph's enters the A-10 Tournament with an impressive 15-3 record and the Hawks went 8-0 in conference play during the regular season. Despite the impressive regular season, SJU has lost two of its last three games. Most recently, Saint Joseph's fell to North Carolina, ranked No. 1 in the nation, 3-2 (2OT). Saint Joseph's was ranked No. 13 in this week's National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Division I poll and the Hawks three losses this season have come vs. nationally-ranked foes in Syracuse, Michigan and UNC. During the regular season, SJU beat Lock Haven, 4-0 in Philadelphia. The Bald Eagles last win vs. Saint Joseph's came during the 2014 regular season on October 17, 2014 in Lock Haven, 2-0.
 
A-10 playoff history:
Friday's Atlantic 10 semifinal will mark Lock Haven's first A-10 tournament appearance since 2014 and fourth overall since joining the A-10 in 2010 season.
 
2019: Semifinal vs. Saint Joseph's, TBD
2014: Semifinal vs. Massachusetts, L, 2-0 (at Richmond)
2013: Semifinal vs. Richmond, L, 4-0 (at Massachusetts)
2010: Semifinal vs. Richmond, W, 4-2 (at Temple)
2010: Championship vs. Massachusetts, L, 2-0 (at Temple)
*2010, LHU's first season in the A-10
 
A successful 2019 regular season:
The Bald Eagles finished the regular season on a roll, concluding the season with a four-game win streak. All four wins came by way of shutout-victories, as Lock Haven outscored its opponents 11-0 in the final four games. In all, LHU won seven of its final eight games during the regular season, which included A-10 wins over La Salle, Virginia Commonwealth, Saint Louis and Saint Francis. Overall, LHU was 11-7 (6-2 A-10) during the regular season and six of the 11 wins came at home.
 
Defense leading the way:
The Bald Eagles closed out the season with four straight shutouts, as the defense has been a huge part of the story for Lock Haven all season. LHU won seven of its final eight games of the regular season with six of those seven wins being shutouts. In total, the Bald Eagles had eight shutouts in the regular season, which led the A-10 and ranked third in Division I during the regular season. Emily Robb is one of many LHU defensive leaders.  
 
Orlandini powers the defense from the backline:
Without question, a leader on the Bald Eagles defense has been standout goalkeeper Joaquina Orlandini, who ranks among the A-10 leaders in most statistical categories. She played in 17 of 18 games and went 10-7 overall, boasting all eight of LHU's shutouts. She leads the A-10 in shutouts and has 53 saves in nearly 1,075 total minutes of play. Her goals-against-average of 1.12 is No. 2 in the A-10 and No. 13 in DI. Orlandini has a save percentage of .726, which is one of the top marks in the conference.
 
Freshmen duo gets it done on offense:
Leading the LHU offense all season has been the rookie duo of Jazmin Palma and Amy Stevens. Palma leads the A-10 in shots with 66 and lead LHU with 16 points, thanks to five goals and a team-best six assists. Stevens leads LHU in goals with six and has two assists for 14 total points as the true-freshmen duo ranks 1-2 on the team in total points. The two have taken the league by storm from the start and made an immediate "game-changing" impact.
 
Other offensive stat leaders:
MacKenzie Farley has been a key contributor on attack, adding 11 points with five goals and one assist. Tia Judy has eight points (3G, 2A). In all, LHU's 26 goals have been scored by nine different players.
 
Brathwaite fuels LHU:
Kayla Brathwaite, one of the top all-around players in the league, is the definition of strong two-way play as the vocal leader and speedy midfielder gets the job done at both ends of the field. Her defensive strength has led LHU to 11 wins and eight shutouts while her offensive power has added eight points (3G, 2A).
 
A-10 honors:
2019 Weekly Atlantic 10 Awards:
Nov. 4 // Defensive Player of the Week // Joaquina Orlandini
Oct. 21 // Rookie of the Week // Jazmin Palma
Oct. 14 // Player of the Week // Kayla Brathwaite
Oct. 14 // Defensive Player of the Week // Joaquina Orlandini
Oct. 14 // Rookie of the Week // Amy Stevens
Sept. 30 // Rookie of the Week Jazmin Palma
Sept. 9 // Rookie of the Week // Jazmin Palma
 
Brathwaite selected to NFHCA Senior All-Start Game:
In mid-October (2019), it was announced that standout Kayla Brathwaite was named an alternate for the 2019 Victory Sports Tours/National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Division I Senior Game. Annually, the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game features top senior players in the nation. The selected seniors are given the opportunity to represent their institution while competing against their peers. This year, the Division I Senior Game will take place in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
 
LHU picked fifth in 2019 preseason poll:
To start the 2019 season, the Bald Eagles were picked fifth in the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) Preseason Coaches' poll. Saint Joseph's, the defending A-10 champions, received eight of nine first-place votes and was picked as the preseason-favorite. Virginia Commonwealth checked in at No. 2 and Massachusetts rounded out the top-three teams. Richmond came in at No. 4, one spot ahead of the Bald Eagles. Lock Haven was followed by No. 6 La Salle, No. 7 Saint Francis, No. 8 Davidson and No. 9 Saint Louis.
 
Brathwaite named to 2019 Preseason All-Conference Team:
Junior Kayla Brathwaite was named to the 2019 A-10 Preseason All-Conference Team. Brathwaite, a speedy-midfielder, is a big-time difference maker for the Bald Eagles. Last season ('18), she scored two goals and dished out eight assists (12 pts.), while providing tremendous end-to-end play for head coach Pat Rudy's side. Following her rookie season in 2017, Brathwaite earned a spot on both the A-10 Second Team and the All-Rookie Team. As a true-freshman back in 2017, she started all 18 games and recorded one goal, five assists and a defensive save.
 
A quick look back at the 2018 season:
LHU got off to a quick start in 2018, winning three of the first four games of the season. The win in the 2018 season-finale vs. La Salle helped Lock Haven finish the season at .500, thanks to a 9-9 overall record. The Bald Eagles were 3-5 in A-10 action, thanks to wins over Davidson, Saint Louis and La Salle. All three conference wins came by way of a shutout with LHU outscoring their conference foes 9-0 in those three games. On the season, LHU scored 45 goals, the third most of any team in the A-10 during the regular season. Returning defensive-standout Tia Judy finished with a team-best nine assists last season ('18). It marked her second straight nine-assist season.
 
Rudy looks to add to Hall of Fame career:
LHU head coach Pat Rudy will enter her 24^th season at The Haven. Last season marked a special one for Rudy, a 2018 National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame inductee, as she hit her 600^th career coaching win. LHU finished the 2018 season with nine wins, giving Rudy 602 career wins. The 2-0 win at Davidson on October 5 proved to be a historic one as it gave Rudy her 600th career victory, a career coaching milestone that only two NCAA field hockey coaches have reached before her. She entered the 2018 season with 593 wins and the win at Davidson – the seventh of the season for LHU – pushed her to the magic No. 600. The 2018 season marked Rudy's 23rd at LHU, her alma mater, and her 41st season coaching overall at the college level. Rudy entered the season already holding the third-most wins of all-time and early in the 2018 season, she grabbed her 350th win at LHU.
 
*To date: (11 wins this 2019 season), Hall of Fame head coach Pat Rudy now has 613 career coaching victories.
 
2019 roster loaded with returning experience:
In all, LHU returned 10 players who played in 13 or more games last season (2018) including Taryn Piano, Kayla Brathwaite, MacKenzie Farley, Tia Judy, Katie Supey, Emily Robb, Prabheet Basra, Niamh Sexton, Karina Long and Taylor Plouse. Of those 10, four (Farley, Judy, Robb and Sexton) started all 18 games. That experience and veteran leadership will lead the way for the Bald Eagles on the field and should prove critical come crunch time in conference play. Goalkeeper Joaquina Orlandini played in six of the final nine games last season. She has a tremendous skillset and the athletic-goalie has the potential to change the outcome of any match.