Conference

Crows Scores Two for RMU:  Robert Morris broke into the win column by outlasting Georgetown, 2-1, in overtime, but could not have done it without the services of sophomore Chantele Crow (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin). The second-year forward scored both Robert Morris goals within the span of less 10 minutes.  Crow broke a scoreless deadlock on an unassisted tally in the 62nd minute before Georgetown tied the game with 4:22 remaining.  Only 1:02 into overtime, Crow struck again by burying the game-winner into the back left corner of the cage.  The victory ended the Colonials’ four-game slide to start the season.

 

Lock Haven Bounces Back from Rare Slide:  After winning three of its first four games to start the season., defending Northeast Conference champion Lock Haven suffered back-to-back losses two weeks ago to fall to 3-3.  It was the first time in more than two years that the Lady Eagles dropped two straight  games, but the losing didn’t last long.  The Haven bounced back by beating Colgate and LaSalle by a combined 9-3 score this past week.  Only Rider (7-0) owns a better non-league record than Lock Haven (5-3).

 

Rider Makes It Four-for-Four:  Rider has had representation in each of the season’s first four installments of the Northeast Conference weekly awards program.  Current NEC Rookie of the Week Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) is one of third Rider freshmen to capture the Rookie of the Week accolade.  Schneider, who provided the only scoring in the Broncs’ latest victory over Radford, follows last week’s honoree Ellie LaBar (Oaklyn, NJ/Collingswood).  Freshman Jackie Adams (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) claimed rookie honors (Aug. 31) for her opening-week efforts and sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro) won NEC Player of the Week (Sept. 8) accolades for tallying 14 points in three victories.

 

NEC Preseason Prognostication:  Lock Haven stands as the unanimous favorite to capture a fourth consecutive Northeast Conference field hockey crown.  The Lady Eagles garnered eight first-place votes to finish atop the NEC's preseason coaches' poll for the fifth year in a row.  After coming up one victory shy of the NEC Tournament title each of the previous two seasons, Rider garnered the lone remaining first-place vote and finished second in the annual survey of the league's nine head coaches.  Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart, who along with Lock Haven and Rider comprised last season's NEC Championship field, finished third and fourth, respectively, in the voting.  Saint Francis (PA) claimed fifth place followed by Monmouth in sixth and Robert Morris in seventh.  Poised for its inaugural season of NEC competition, Bryant was tabbed for eighth place while Siena rounded out the preseason prognostication in ninth.  The team picked first in the poll has gone onto win the past four NEC crowns.  The 2004 Quinnipiac Bobcats were the last preseason favorite to walk away empty-handed.  Lock Haven, picked third, finished atop the regular season standings that season, and Rider, selected second, won the tournament.

 

The Bulldogs suffered their third straight loss, falling, 2-0, on the road to Fairfield in its only game of the week. … Senior goalkeeper Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) recorded seven saves in the contest, upping her season total to 52. She has played all 420 minutes between the pipes for the Bulldogs in 2009. … Sophomore Courtney Landi (Kingston, NY/Kingston) led the Bulldogs offensively with three shots, two on goal. … Sophomore Aly Czerniak (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) also registered a shot on goal for Bryant.

 

Lock Haven, which suffered back-to-back losses last week for the first time in over two years, got back to its winning ways. The Lady Eagles went 2-0 over week, picking up non-conference wins over Colgate and La Salle. … Junior forward Amy Hordendorf (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) led LHU with a five-goal week. She leads the team in goals (7) and total points (15) this season. … Seniors Mary Keister (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) and Suzann Hobart (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) each have four goals and one assist on the year. … Lock Haven meets a Philadelphia-based program for the second consecutive game when it hosts Temple on. Sept 26.   LHU is 2-2-1 all-time against the Owls, but lost the most-recent meeting, 3-2, in overtime (2007).  … A third Philly school awaits in the form of Saint Joseph's on Sept. 27.  The two sides last faced off against each other in 1986 when Lock Haven won the only meeting, 3-2, in overtime.

 

Monmouth closed out its longest road trip of the season this past weekend when it dropped a pair of non-conference matchups to Richmond, 7-0, and Virginia Commonwealth, 5-0. ... Monmouth’s recent five-game slide comes after it started the season at 3-0 for the first time in program history. ...The Hawks return to action this weekend as they take on Lafayette (Sept. 26).

 

Quinnipiac lost to Hofstra, 2-1, in double overtime before falling to Lafayette, 2-0. … Hofstra converted on the game-winner on a penalty corner in the 92nd minute. … QU goalie Jenna Grossman (Flanders, NJ/Mt. Olive) turned in back-to-back double-digit save performances.  The reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year stopped 12 of 14 shots on goal against Hofstra in a 91-minute battle with the Pride. She turned back all three of Hofstra's shots in the first period, before stopping five in the second half.  For the year, Grossman has stopped 45 of 60 shots on goal for a .750 save percentage. … Lauren Hartnett (Walpole, MA/Walpole) scored her team-leading second goal of the season against the Pride.  Hartnett leads Quinnipiac with seven points.

 

Rider did it with offense in a 6-0 win at Appalachian State on Sept. 19 and with stellar defense in a 1-0 double-overtime win at Radford one day later. … Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor Plainsboro-North) recorded her second hat trick of the season in the shutout of ASU. … Rookie Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) scored one a rebound, her third goal of the season, to break a scoreless tie 4:59 into the second overtime at Radford. … Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern) notched her second shutout in a row, and third in four games, last week. She lowered her goals-against average to 0.55.  Johnson was fourth in the nation in GAA entering play last week. … Rider next hosts West Chester (Sept. 25). … The Broncs received votes in last week's NFHCA poll and was ranked 30th entering the ASU game.

 

Robert Morris split a pair of games last week, breaking into the win column following a season-opening four-game slide. The Colonials fell to Ohio, 2-0, before sneaking past Georgetown, 2-1, in overtime. ... RMU goalie Stephanie Seeley (Louisville, KY/Ballard) made 24 saves against Ohio, a performance that ranks first amongst NCAA single-game saves leaders this season. ... Seeley earned the win for RMU’s overtime triumph over Georgetown.  Sophomore Chantelle Crow (Dauphin, PA/Central Dauphin) scored both RMU goals in the 2-1 victory.

 

The Pioneers dropped a pair of non-conference games last week to Maine and Boston. ... Junior goalie Kim Stow (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) made 11 saves in a 6-0 loss to Maine and stopped 10 shots in a 7-0 loss at BU.  Overall, Stow has made 83 saves, while boasting a .709 save percentage.  She has played every minute in the cage for Sacred Heart. ... Sophomore forward Chelsea Carlson (Peterborough, NH/Contoocook) leads the team in scoring with a pair of goals and two assists. ... This week the Pioneers will travel to play at Brown (Sept. 23) before visiting Rutgers (Sept. 27).  

 

Saint Francis continues to look for its first win following three losses last week. … Junior Rebecca Reiff (Wall, NJ/Wall) was the only Red Flash player to tally a goal, taking a feed from freshman Tia Dudukovich (Port Matilda, PA/State College Area) and scoring in the Flash's 2-1 loss to Lehigh. … Junior Caitlin Brown (Hamburg, PA/Hamburg) managed five shots in a setback at Colgate. …  Saint Francis will take on St. John's in a game to be played at Lock Haven (Sept. 26).