Northeast Conference Notebook:
Lock Haven Plays a Fine Nine: Lock Haven won all three of its games last week, two of which were against Northeast Conference members, to extend its overall win streak to nine. The Haven has not lost since a 2-0 non-conference setback to Kent State on Sept. 13. As far as Northeast Conference win streaks go, the Haven’s two NEC wins made it 27 straight over league foes. The Lady Eagles are 39-2 all-time vs. NEC opponents and are aiming for their third consecutive perfect run through the conference schedule.
Broncs’ In Seventh Heaven: Rider has had representation in each of the season’s first seven installments of the Northeast Conference weekly awards program. Freshman Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) garners her third NEC Rookie of the Week honor this week. Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro) picked up her second NEC Player of the Week award back on Oct. 5. Pisani won her first on Sept. 8. Schneider is one of three Rider freshmen to capture the Rookie of the Week award. Ellie LaBar (Oaklyn, NJ/Collingswood) (Sept. 14) and Jackie Adams (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) (Aug. 31) each have one rookie accolade to their credit.
Rider One of Three Remaining: Rider (12-0) enters play this week as one of only three undefeated teams in all of NCAA Division I field hockey, joining Maryland (14-0) and North Carolina (13-0). The Broncs are out-scoring its opponents 23-1 in the first half, and has not trailed in any game this season.
RMU Rookie’s First Snaps Scoreless Streak: Robert Morris freshman Erica Musson (Columbus, OH/Liberty) scored her first career goal to end the Colonials’ 168-minute 58-second scoreless streak. The rookie’s tally came in the 13th minute of an eventual 4-3 double-overtime setback at Siena (Oct. 11). Coming off the bench for her sixth appearance of the season, Musson opened the game’s scoring and finished with two shots on goal.
Team-By-Team Notes:
Bryant (4-8, 1-2 NEC)
The Bulldogs were shutout in their only game of the week, a 2-0 loss to Lock Haven. The loss was the first of the season at home for Bryant. … Senior goalie Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe) saved eight of 10 shots faced. She boasts a 2.73 GAA and .755 save percentage on the season. … Sophomore Courtney Landi (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and senior Tia Pydynkowski (Hampton Falls, NH/Winnacunnet) each recorded two shots in the game to lead the Bulldogs, who registered six shots on the day.
Lock Haven (12-3, 3-0 NEC)
Lock Haven extended its unbeaten streak to nine matches and improved to 3-0 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play last week. Lock Haven won all three games it played. The Lady Eagles topped Bucknell, 1-0, in non-conference action, before dropping Siena and Bryant in NEC play. … The Lady Eagles have recorded five straight shutouts, outscoring opponents 16-0 over the five-game span. … The two NEC wins extended Lock Haven's all-time conference record to 39-2, while the Lady Eagles have gone 27 straight NEC games without a loss. LHU hasn't lost a conference match since the 2006 season and went a perfect 7-0 in each of the last two seasons. … Junior forward Amy Hordendorf (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights), the NEC's leading goal scorer (18) this season, had another huge week with a seven-goal run. She has 38 total points on the season. … Lock Haven is back in action at home against Robert Morris (Oct. 16) before hosting Saint Francis (PA) (Oct. 18). LHU is 5-0 lifetime vs. Robert Morris and a perfect 6-0 against SFPA.
Monmouth (7-7, 3-1 NEC)
The Hawks went 1-1 on the weekend losing to Rider (Oct. 9), 3-1, before defeating Sacred Heart (Oct. 11), 4-0. … Sophomore Ashley McPeek (Hazlet, NJ/St. John Vianney) scored the Hawks' lone goal against Rider, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at the time. McPeek added a goal and assist against the Pioneers as well. … Senior Enza Mazza (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) posted her first career hat trick in leading the Hawks to victory over SHU. Mazza (37 pts.), with her six points on the afternoon, rose to third place all-time in the MU record book. … MU junior goalie Melissa Katz (Tinton Falls, NJ/Monmouth Regional) posted her third career shutout, and second of this season, with two saves against the Pioneers.
Quinnipiac (2-9, 1-2 NEC)
Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart postponed their scheduled Northeast Conference Nutmeg State showdown until Oct. 13. … The Bobcats lost their lone competition of the week, a 1-0 setback to first-place Rider. (Oct. 11).
Rider (12-0, 3-0 NEC)
Rider extended its win streak to 12 by notching a pair of Northeast Conference victories last week. … After a goal and an assist against Monmouth, sophomore Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) scored the Broncs' lone goal against NEC rival Quinnipiac. Her tally broke a scoreless tie in the 61st minute and stands as her sixth career game-winner. Egusquiza , the regaining NEC Rookie of the Year and all-NEC first team honoree, has eight goals on the season and leads Rider in assists (10). She has points in her last five games and has scored in 10 of 12 games this season. … Sophomore Natasha Tukeva (Easton, PA/Freedom) scored her first goal of the season, six minutes into the second half, against Monmouth. ... Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro), who recorded assists in both games last week, ranks second in the NEC in scoring (32 pts.). … Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern) recorded her seventh shutout in earning the victory against Garden State rival MU.
Robert Morris (2-9, 1-3 NEC)
The Colonials played back-to-back double-overtime affairs last week, winning the first before dropping the second. ... Robert Morris broke a four-game losing skid by outlasting Keystone State rival Saint Francis (PA) (Oct. 9) in penalty strokes. Both sides were scoreless through 100 minutes of play before the Colonials won, 7-6, in strokes. The win was first in NEC play for RMU this season. ... Sophomore Chantele Crow (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin) scored two consecutive goals t o stake RMU to a 3-2 second-half lead over Siena before the Saints rallied to win, 4-3, in extra time. Crow leads the team in goals (4) and points (10).
Sacred Heart (1-11, 0-2 NEC)
The Pioneers fell to Monmouth (Oct. 11), 4-0, their lone NEC action last week. … Junior midfielder Dana Luhrs (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) and sophomore forward Chelsea Carlson (Peterborough, NH/Contoocook) are tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (8). … The Pioneers travel to Quinnipiac (Oct. 13) to make up a contest originally scheduled for Oct. 9.
Saint Francis (PA) (1-12, 1-2 NEC)
The Red Flash suffered a heart-breaking loss at Robert Morris (Oct. 9), falling in penalty strokes (7-6) after no team scored in 100 minutes of action. … Goalie Katelyn Vitali (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) made seven saves in her second collegiate start while midfielder Allison Severage (Garwood, NJ/Arthur L Johnson) took five shots for the Flash. … The Flash wrapped up their non-conference season by falling to Penn (Oct. 11), 5-0. … SFPA hosts Siena (Oct. 16) before traveling to Lock Haven (Oct. 18).
Siena (3-9, 1-2 NEC)
Siena went 1-1 for the week, dropping a 5-0 decision to Lock Haven (Oct. 9) before pulling out its first conference victory against Robert Morris (Oct. 11). … After totaling just 53 shots in their first 11 games of the season, the Saints offense exploded for a Division I program-record 36 shots in a 4-3 double-overtime victory over the Colonials. Senior captain Caroline Hunnewell (Lebanon, NH/Lebanon) tallied the sudden-victory goal just over a minute into the second overtime. ... Co-captain Kristin McGorty (Wappingers Falls, NY/John Jay) set up the game-winner vs. RMU. She finished with two assists for the game, giving her five for the year (Siena's Division I single-season program record). Additionally, the two points move McGorty into a tie for ninth place on the school's all-time career scoring list. ... The Saints next face nationally-ranked, cross-town rival UAlbany (Oct. 18).