Conference

Freshman Firsts Help Flash Snap Slide:  Saint Francis (PA) entered its Northeast Conference contest against Bryant (Oct. 4) carrying a scoreless streak spanning six games and having lost 10 straight since the start of the season.  The only difference between this game and the prior 10 was that freshman forward Kellie Mason (East  Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) and rookie goalkeeper Kate Vitali (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) were in the starting lineup.   Making their first collegiate starts, both players made an immediate impact in leading the Flash to their first win of the season, a 2-1 triumph over Bryant.  Mason scored both of Saint Francis’ goals, the first of which ended a scoreless streak of 353 minutes and 43 seconds.  Vitali earned the win in  goal, making two saves.

 

Lock Haven Makes It Six Straight: Lock Haven won both of its games last week - defeating Quinnipiac (Oct. 2) and West Chester (Oct. 4) - to extend its overall win streak to six.  As far as NEC win streaks go, the Haven’s NEC-opening victory over Quinnipiac was its 25th consecutive triumph over a conference foe.  The Lady Eagles are 37-2 all-time vs. NEC opponents.

 

Six Weeks, Six Weekly Award for Broncs:  Rider has had representation in each of the season’s first six installments of the Northeast Conference weekly awards program.  Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro) picked up her second NEC Player of the Week award this week (Oct. 5).  Pisani won her first on Sept. 8.  Freshman Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) is one of three Rider freshmen to capture the Rookie of the Week award.  Schneider has won the honor in the two weeks preceding Pisani’s second honor.  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 Rolling Along:  Rider has yet to trail at any point this season and is one of only three remaining unbeatens in all of NCAA Division I.  The Broncs defeated Atlantic 10 member LaSalle (Oct. 1) in overtime before opening their conference schedule with a win at Sacred Heart (Oct. 4).  Rider (10-0), Maryland (12-0), and North Carolina (11-0) are the only teams which have not lost this season.

 

Garden State Showdown:  First place and bragging rights are on the line in West Long Branch, NJ.  Monmouth, winners of three straight, hosts Rider (Oct. 9) this week in a battle of NEC unbeatens.  Making matters even more interesting, both schools hail from the Garden State.  

 

The Bulldogs went 2-1 with a pair of shutouts on the week. … Bryant earned its first Northeast Conference victory over Robert Morris (Oct. 2), 4-0, and topped Holy Cross (Sept. 29), 1-0. … Sophomore Courtney Landi (Kingston, NY/Kingston) scored twice on the week, both goals coming against Robert Morris.  She leads the team in goals (6) and points (13). … Senior captain Caitlan Johnson (Walpole, MA/Walpole) scored her first goal of the season in a 2-1 loss at Saint Francis (PA) (Oct. 4). … Sophomores Aly Czerniak (Holyoke, MA/Smith Academy) and Emily Charpentier (Walpole, MA/Walpole) each collected a score on the week. The latter's goal was the only scoring in Bryant's 1-0 triumph over HC. … Junior Toby Maltz (Andover, MA/Andover) scored her first of the year against Robert Morris. … Senior Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe) posted a 0.73 GAA and .800 save percentage.  She made eight saves in more than 192 minutes between the pipes..

 

Lock Haven posted back-to-back 4-0 shutouts over the weekend to extend its win streak to six matches. Lock Haven hasn't dropped a match since September 13 when the Lady Eagles fell to Kent State at home. 2-0. … Lock Haven opened NEC play by downing Quinnipiac (Oct. 2). The win over QU extended LHU's NEC unbeaten streak to 25 matches. Quinnipiac was the last conference team to beat Lock Haven, doing so October 20, 2006. The Haven is now 37-2 all-time vs. NEC opponents. … The Lady Eagles traveled to West Chester (Oct. 4) and dominated the Golden Rams on the way to the 4-0 win.  LHU led 3-0 at halftime, thanks to a two-goal first half by senior Suzann Hobart (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land). … Over the two-game span last week, both Hobart and junior Amy Hordendorf (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) scored two goals and picked up an assist. … The two shutouts last weekend marked the second and third of the year for Lock Haven goalkeeper Erin Terreson (Robesonia, PA/Conrad Weiser). … LHU faces local rival Bucknell (Oct. 6). The  Haven is 31-4-3 all-time against the Bison. … Lock Haven travels to Siena (Oct. 9) and Bryant (Oct. 11) for NEC action. LHU is 5-0 all-time vs. Siena and this will be the first ever meeting with Bryant.

 

Monmouth extended its win streak by triumphing twice in the Keystone State last week.  The Hawks downed NEC opponents Saint Francis (PA) (Oct. 2) and Robert Morris (Oct. 4). After opening up the season with three straight wins and then losing six straight, the Hawks have bounced back to post another three-game win streak. … Freshman Michelle Pieczynski (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) provided the game's only goal againstthe Red Flash. … Senior Enza Mazza (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) registered the game-winning goal against Robert Morris, her first of the season, just 22 seconds into overtime off of a shot from teammate Morganne Firmstone (Honesdale, PA/Honesdale) to give the Hawks their second extra-session win of the season.

 

Quinnipiac picked up its first Northeast Conference win of the 2009 season with a 3-0 victory against Siena (Oct. 4). … The Bobcats, who lost their NEC opener to Lock Haven (Oct. 2), bounced back with a concerted offensive effort against the Saints. Christine Grady (Enfield, CT) and MacKenzie Liptak (Schuylerville, NY) both collected three points in the game with a goal and assist apiece.  Liptak now leads Quinnipiac with seven points (2G, 3A). Grady's goal was her first of the season, and 11th of her career, moving her into a tie for 12th place all-time at QU. Grady's three points on Sunday give her 26 for her career, making her the active career point and goal scorer on the Bobcats' roster. … Reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Jenna Grossman (Flanders, NJ) played the first 62 minutes of Quinnipiac's win against Siena before giving way to junior Amanda DeLouise (Cheshire, CT). The duo combined for the shutout with Grossman recording five saves. … Grossman became just the third goalkeeper in Quinnipiac history to record 400 saves, surpassing the milestone against Lock Haven.  Grossman has 407 saves for her career to date.

 

Rider (10-0) is now one of only three undefeated teams in Division I including Maryland (12-0) and North Carolina (11-0). … The Broncs posted a 2-1 overtime win against La Salle (Oct. 1) and a 3-0 Northeast Conference win at Sacred Heart (Oct. 4). ... Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor Plainsboro) scored her sixth game-winner of the season against LaSalle exactly 3:00 into overtime. Pisani, the NEC leader in goals (14) scored three goals on the week. Pisani has seven goals in her last five games and was ninth in the nation averaging 1.38 goals per game as of September 27. ... Freshman Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) scored her second game-winner of the season on a penalty corner in Rider's 3-0 shutout of Sacred Heart. ... Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern) recorded her 10th win, six of which have come via shutouts, and lowered her goals against average to 0.48 last week. Johnson entered the week fourth in the nation in GAA. ... As of Sept. 27, ider found itself leading the nation in save percentage (.871), standing third in goals-against average (0.48), and fifth in scoring margin (3.02). ... Rider has not trailed at any point this season and is out-scoring its opponents 34-5. ... Rider faces Monmouth (Oct. 9) in a battle of NEC unbeatens.

 

Robert Morris dropped a pair of home NEC contests, falling to Bryant (Oct. 2) and Monmouth (Oct. 4).  The Colonials have now lost four in a row. ... Junior Catherine Myrick (Twin Valley, PA/Twin Valley) scored RMU’s lone goal in a 2-1 setback to Monmouth.  The tally was the first of her career.  She also notched a defensive save in the same game.

 

The Pioneers fell to Rider (Oct. 4) in their 2009 Northeast Conference opener, 3-0, at home. …  Junior goalkeeper Kim Stow (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) made a season-high 22 saves in the loss.  Stow holds a .740 save percentage and 5.02 goals-against average on the season. …  The Pioneers travel to Quinnipiac (Oct. 9).

 

The Red Flash lost to Monmouth (Oct. 2) in the NEC opener, but rebounded to defeat Bryant (Oct. 4). … Freshman Kellie Mason (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) made her first collegiate start against Bryant after missing the past five weeks with an injury and made an immediate impact. Mason netted her first two career goals to lift the Red  Flash to a 2-1 victory, their first of the year. …  Freshman goalkeeper Kate Vitali (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) made two stops in her first career start to earn the win. … Saint Francis (PA) faces Keystone State rival Robert Morris (Oct. 9). 

 

The Saints dropped both of their games last week, falling in non-conference action at Lehigh (Sept. 29) before losing the NEC opener to Quinnipiac (Oct. 4). … The Saints trailed Lehigh, 3-0, at the half before Mackenzie Smith (New Preston, CT/Shepaug Valley) and Kristin McGorty (Wappingers Falls, NY/John Jay) scored seoncd-half tallies to cut the deficit to one. … Senior goalie Renee Clavette (Danville, NH/Timberlane) leads the nation in total saves (144). … The Saints continue their three-game homestand against Lock Haven (Oct. 9).