Conference

Siena, Schneider, and Streakbusters Highlight Week in NEC:  Siena scored five goals in its win over Colgate, tying its highest single-game output since the program move up to the Division I level in 1993.  Saints’ forward Lisa Heimerle (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) set the program record with seven points in the game and also notched Siena’s first-ever hat trick. ... After beginning the season 3-0 for the first time in program history, Monmouth lost six straight games until its 3-2, skid-snapping win over Georgetown (Sept. 27). ... Quinnipiac ended its season-opening five-game slide by downing Holy Cross (Sept. 24), 3-1. ... Rider’s Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) is scoring at a torrid pace of late. The rookie has one goal in each of her past three contests.

 

Northeast Conference Play Opens as Calendar Moves to October:  The upcoming weekend (Oct.2-4) marks the start of Northeast Conference play.  Both defending champion Lock Haven and 2008 runner-up Rider open their NEC slates with a single game this weekend.  Lock Haven hosts Quinnipiac (Oct. 2) and Rider travels to Sacred Heart (Oct. 4).  The Haven carries a 24-game win streak against NEC opponents into their league lidlifter.  Rider, which has yet to lose this season, rides an overall eight-game win streak.  All nine teams play at least one NEC game.  Monmouth and Bryant both head west for a pair of contests against the NEC’s Pennsylvania-based contingent.  Bryant’s game at Robert Morris (Oct. 2) will be its first as a NEC member. 

 

Lock Haven’s Back to Winning Ways:  Lock Haven swept a pair of Philadelphia-based Atlantic-10 members this past weekend to extend its win streak to four.  The home wins over Temple and Saint Joseph’s are a sign The Haven has bounced back from its uncharacteristic two-game slide earlier in September.  After winning three of its first four games to start the season., the defending Northeast Conference champion suffered back-to-back losses 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 before out-scoring the two A-10 schools by a 7-2 count.  Only Rider (8-0) owns a better non-league record than Lock Haven (7-3).

 

Five Weeks, Five Weekly Award for Broncs:  Rider has had representation in each of the season’s first five installments of the Northeast Conference weekly awards program.  Current NEC Rookie of the Week Marlaine Schneider (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) is one of three Rider freshmen to capture the Rookie of the Week award.  Schneider has won the honor for two weeks running.  Ellie LaBar (Oaklyn, NJ/Collingswood) (Sept. 14) and Jackie Adams (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) (Aug. 31) each have one rookie accolade to their credit. Sophomore Megan Pisani (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro) won NEC Player of the Week (Sept. 8) accolades for tallying 14 points in three victories.

 

Bobcats’ Marini Makes Big Splash in First Win:  Quinnipiac broke into the win column behind  the first-ever multi-goal game from Liz Marini (Canton, MA).  Quinnipiac took a 3-0 lead before the game was 30 minutes old.  Kimberly Cunniff (Walpole, MA) opened the scoring in the 16th minute before Marini added her first career tally three minutes later and scored again in the 30th minute.

 

The Bulldogs went 1-1 on the week, getting a 2-0 win over Colgate (Sept. 26) to stay perfect in Smithfield before falling, on the road, to Dartmouth, 4-2. ... Sophomores Katherine Andrusin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) and Courtney Landi (Kingston, NY/Kingston) each collected a goal and an assist on the week. Andrusin scored the game winner and chipped in an assist against Colgate while Landi echoed that performance on Sunday at Dartmouth. Landi's goal, which came unassisted on a breakaway, tied the game at 1-1. … Junior Elise Boissoneau (Ashburnham, MA/St. Bernard's Central) notched the second goal in Saturday's win. …  Senior Tia Pydynkowski (Hampton Falls, NH/Winnacunnet) also scored Sunday against Dartmouth, her first of the year. … Senior captain Kundayi Mawema (Harare, Zimbabwe) played all 140 minutes between the pipes and collected nine saves on the week for a .692 save percentage, allowing just four goals (2.00 GAA).

 

Lock Haven went 2-0 last week with non-conference wins over Temple and Saint Joseph's. The victories, which came at home, extend the Haven's win streak to four matches. … Junior forward Amy Hordendorf (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) led LHU last week with a three-goal week. She continues to lead the team in scoring on the year with 10 goals and one assist (21 points). … Lock Haven kicks off Northeast Conference (NEC) play at home against Quinnipiac (Oct. 2). Since joining the NEC in 2004, LHU has gone 36-2 against conference competition. The Lady Eagles last conference loss came to Quinnipiac during the 2006 season. Lock Haven went a perfect 7-0 in each of the last two campaigns and has won three straight NEC Tournament titles to go along with five regular season crowns. The Haven's 24-game winning streak against NEC opponents is also still alive. …  After opening the league slate, LHU travels to West Chester for a non-conference contest (Oct. 4). … LHU is 5-1 all-time vs. Quinnipiac and 8-13-6 against WCU.

 

After dropping their first game of the week, 3-1, to Lafayette (Sept. 26), the Hawks snapped their six-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Georgetown (Sept. 27). …  Monmouth received goals from three different Hawks in downing the Hoyas for its third home win of the year. Freshman Michelle Pieczynski (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West), sophomore Ashley McPeek (Hazlet, NJ/St. John Vianney), and senior Sarah Keppel (Northampton, PA/Northampton) each got on the board with Keppel providing the game-winning putback. … MU will open up NEC play this when they travel to Saint Francis (PA) (Oct. 2).

 

Quinnipiac broke into the win column by downing Holy Cross (Sept. 24), 3-1, before falling to nationally-ranked Massachusetts (Sept. 27). …  Liz Marini (Canton, MA) led Quinnipiac with two goals and four points. The junior forward scored both tallies against Holy Cross. The goals were the first of Marini's career. … Kimberly Cunniff (Walpole, MA) opened the scoring against Holy Cross by netting her first goal of the season. … With 11 saves against Holy Cross, Jenna Grossman (Flanders, NJ) turned in her third consecutive double-digit save performance, the second time in her career that she accomplished the feat. The reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year first did so in 2006. She is one of two Quinnipiac goalkeepers, along with Sarah Mathers (Class of 2000), to accomplish the feat, and the only Bobcat to do so twice in her career. … Tina Watkins (Sweet Valley, PA) scored Quinnipiac's only goal in its 7-1 loss to No. 10 Massachusetts.

 

Rider won its eighth straight, a 3-0 shutout of West Chester (Sept. 25). ... In the Broncs' only game of the week, sophomore Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) had a goal and two assists. … Senior goalie Lyndsie Johnson (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern) notched her third shutout in a row, and fourth in the last five games.  Johnson entered the game fifth in the nation in goals against average (0.48).  She has all eight Rider wins. ... Rider is out-scoring its opponents 20-1 in the first half and has not trailed in any game this season. ... Ranked 30th in the NFHCA poll, Rider entered last week as one of only seven undefeated teams in Division I including North Carolina (9-0), Maryland (8-0), Virginia (8-0), Connecticut (7-0), Stanford (7-0) and Cornell (6-0). ...  Through September 20, Rider was second in save percentage (.862), fourth in goals against average (0.55), sixth in scoring margin (3.03), 12th in both goals per game (3.71) and scoring average (3.58), 17th in points per game (9.43) and 22nd in assists per game (2.00) amongst NCAA leaders. ... The Broncs host La Salle (Oct. 1) before traveling to Connecticut to face Sacred Heart 9Oct. 4) in the NEC opener.  Rider defeated the Pioneers twice last season.

 

Robert Morris came away empty-handed from its southern swing.  The Colonials lost, 2-0, to Appalachian State (Sept. 25) before falling to Radford (Sept. 27), 5-0. ... Robert Morris opens NEC play by hosting Bryant (Oct. 2) and Monmouth (Oct. 4).

 

The Pioneers dropped a pair of non-conference games by a goal each this week.  … SHU fell, 3-2, at Brown (Sept. 23) despite getting goals from junior Stephanie Fazio (Norwalk ,CT/Brien McMahon) and freshman Lindsay Kasten (Fair Haven, NJ/RFH).  … The Pioneers held a 3-2 lead over Rutgers (Sept. 27) before allowing two goals in the final six minutes.  Junior Dana Luhrs (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley), sophomore Chelsea Carlson (Peterborough, NH/Contoocook), and freshman Karly Duven (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) each scored for Sacred Heart. … Luhrs and Carlson lead the team with three goals and a pair of assists a piece.  ... SHU hosts Rider (Oct. 4) to open conference play.

 

The Red Flash fell by a score of 3-0 to Saint Joseph's in their only game of the week, a neutral site contest.  … Senior goalkeeper Sara Dittmann (State College, PA/State College Area) made six saves in the game and currently ranks fourth in the NEC in total saves. … The Red Flash will continue on their quest for their first win of the season when they host Monmouth (Oct. 2) in their first NEC contest of the year.