Field Hockey sets sights on A-10 crown; faces UMass on Thursday (Nov. 3)

Hungry for More:

After a 2022 regular season which saw the Lock Haven field hockey team record the program’s most wins since 2015, head coach Pat Rudy and the Bald Eagles have their sights set on bringing home the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) crown at this weekend’s (Nov. 3-5) championship in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The No. 3 seed Haven will meet the No. 2 seed UMass on Thursday, November 3 at 2 p.m. in the second semifinal of the day. If Lock Haven advances, they meet the winner of No. 1 seed Saint Joseph’s and No. 4 seed VCU.

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Home Cooking:

The Bald Eagles started off the season playing six of their first seven games at home on Charlotte E. Smith Field. The home turf was kind to the Bald Eagles all season long and The Haven defended the nest a perfect 9-0 on the year. The last time the Bald Eagles were undefeated at home was 2003 when Lock Haven went 11-0 on their home turf and 17-4 on the season.

Fast Start:

The Haven kicked off the 2022 season a perfect 7-0 for the first time since 2004. Powered by the fast start, the Bald Eagles compiled a 12-6 overall record and a 5-2 A-10 record. The 12 wins are the program’s most since 2015, when The Haven racked up 15 wins.

Offensive Firepower:

Martina Spangenberg and Jazmin Palma lead the way for The Haven in goals and both rank among the top ten in scoring. Spangenberg’s team-best 10 goals place her third in the A-10, while Palma’s eight see her seated in sixth. Palma leads the A-10 in shots and her four game-winning goals are tied for joint-most in the conference. Amy Stevens’ team-high five assists in 2022 place her in a tie for sixth-place in the A-10.

The Backline:

Goalkeeper Kelsey Felix’s goals against average of 1.901 ranks fourth in the A-10 and her mark of three shutouts sits in a tie for third-place. As a unit, Palma and Ellie Mead have started all 18 games on the backline for The Haven and anchored the center of the defense. A trio of freshman including Megan Beppler, Victoria Scheer and Florance de Kroon have combined for 30 starts at the outside back positions.

Consistent Performers:

Six players for Lock Haven have started all 18 games for Coach Rudy. Spangenberg, Palma, Stevens, Mead, Hofsass and Anna May Barbusca were indispensable to the Bald Eagle lineup all season long. Constanza Lopez Zabala, Alyssa Endrick, Beppler and de Kroon all provided valuable minutes and started the bulk of games to help push The Haven to the A-10 postseason for the first time since the shortened 2021 spring season.

The Opponent:

UMass enters the A-10 postseason with a 13-5 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the conference. The Minutewomen enter as the No. 21 ranked team in the nation, and are led by Mali Herberhold who is locked in a tie for atop the conference with seven assists. Herberhold ranks sixth in the A-10 with 21 total points in 2022.