Field Hockey Eyes Back-to-Back Road Wins at Saint Michael's Wednesday
MERRIMACK AIMS FOR FIRST WIN STREAK OF 2013, TRAVELS TO SAINT MIKE'S WEDNESDAY
Links: Live Stats
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Looking to move back over .500 by means of back-to-back road victories, the Merrimack College field hockey team makes the long trek northward to Colchester, Vt., to do battle with Saint Michael's College in a Wednesday afternoon road showdown at Duffy Field. First whistle is set for 4 p.m.
The Basics
Date/Time: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013 | 4 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (3-3) | Saint Michael's (2-4)
Location: Duffy Field | Colchester, Vt.
Last Time Out: Merrimack 5, Assumption 1
Backed by a two-goal, five-point performance from senior forward Candace Waldie (North Andover, Mass.) and an all-around complete performance from start to finish, Merrimack snapped a two-game losing streak by means of a 5-1 road victory at Assumption on Saturday afternoon in Worcester, Mass.
Thanks to a 21-12 advantage in shot attempts, as well as a 15-6 edge in shots on target, Merrimack's often-high-octane offense – which had been limited to just two goals over the last two games – exploded for five tallies on Saturday afternoon, with Waldie leading the way.
Sophomore Madison Davis (San Jose, Calif.) picked up her second win in three starts by turning aside five shots, while Assumption's Heather Philbrick took the loss despite a seven-save effort.
Last Season vs. Saint Michael's
Merrimack posted a pair of victories against the Purple Knights throughout the 2012 regular season, one at home and one on the road.
In the first contest of 2012 (Sept. 12), Merrimack welcomed the Purple Knights for a Wednesday afternoon battle and Waldie was the star of the afternoon. The North Andover, Mass., native tallied a school-record six goals en route to a 7-0 victory over the Purple Knights, highlighting one of Merrimack's most dominant victories last fall.
Later in the season, Merrimack and Saint Mike's played a much closer match up in Colchester, with the Warriors coming away with a thrilling, 2-1 victory on Oct. 10, 2012.
The Warriors:
- Are aiming for their first winning streak of the season; in 2012, Merrimack boasted separate win streaks of seven straight and nine straight wins
- Waldie's six goals rank tied for fourth in the conference, while her 14 points rank fifth
- Boast the third-best offense in the conference (3.0) and register the third-most shots per game (17.7) throughout the NE-10
- Defensively, Merrimack's 2.63 GAA is seventh-best out of 11 schools, while its save percentage (69%) is second-to-last
The Purple Knights:
- Have started the year 2-4 overall with an 0-1 mark inside league play
- Began the season with a challenging slate that included road trips to Shippensbur g(L, 7-1) and Mansfield (L, 3-0), as well as a home bout against nationally ranked Stonehill (L, 4-2)
- Broke through with a big victory against Bentley on Sept. 17 (3-2) and posted a 6-4 victory at Franklin Pierce last week before falling at home to LIU Post, 2-0, over the weekend
- Cassaundra Davis paces the offense with 12 points (5g, 2a) while Megan Deschaine represents the only other multi-goal scorer (2-0—4)
- In net, Sarah Healey and Jackie Chisholm have started three games apiece; the former owns a 2.33 GAA with a .720 SV%, with the latter posting a 5.00 GAA and .667 SV% during that span
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