Field Hockey Welcomes AIC for Homecoming Weekend Matchup Friday Night (7 p.m.)
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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Back at home and looking to buck a three-game skid, the Merrimack College field hockey team welcomes AIC to campus for a Friday night, Homecoming Weekend conference showdown at Martone-Mejail Field. First whistle is set for 7 p.m.
The Basics
Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 | 7 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (5-5, 1-3 NE-10) | American Int'l (4-5, 0-2 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
Last Time Out:
After fighting back from a two-goal halftime deficit and nearly tying the game, the 10th-ranked Merrimack College field hockey team was denied its comeback bid by sixth-ranked LIU Post University, as the Warriors suffered their third straight loss at the hands of the reigning league champion Pioneers last Saturday morning.
Playing for the first time since their meeting in last year NCAA Semifinals, Merrimack and LIU battled through rainy and dreary conditions most of the morning, as the Pioneers built themselves a 2-0 lead and carried that into the intermission.
After the break, Merrimack wasted no time in making it a one-goal game, as sophomore Nicole Bradley thread a shot that bounced through the Pioneer defense and under goalkeeper Ericka Parks for the Warriors' first goal of the game at 40:22. Feeding off that momentum switch, Merrimack took over the ensuing 10 minutes and nearly tied it on a tip shot by Bradley on a penalty corner that sailed just high.
But the Pioneers withheld that pressure and put the game out of reach with two goals within a five-minute span, upping their lead to 4-1 and forcing the Warriors to come back from three down in the final 15 minutes.
Try as they may, the hosts would only get to within two thanks to a late tally from freshman Rylee Hammond, who tapped in a nifty shot by junior Christine Zubkus on the goal line. But that would be it for the hosts.
Last Season vs. AIC:
Merrimack and AIC met just once last year, as the Warriors downed the Yellow Jackets by a 5-2 margin in Springfield last October.
Four different players found the back of the cage to pace a balanced attack that saw the Warriors outshoot AIC by an 11-9 margin and 6-5 edge in penalty corners. Then-freshman Maura Doyle led the way with two goals, while five different players tallied an assist. Madison Davis posted four saves in net to secure the victory.
The Yellow Jackets:
- Sit tied for last in the league standings and are in search of their first conference victory after starting the year 0-2 (4-5 overall)
- Are coming off a pair of one-goal losses (4-3 at Saint Michael's, 2-1 at Adelphi)
- Two different players have totaled double-digit scoring figures, led by senior Jenna Masionis (6g, 2a, 14 pts)
- Ainslee Penfield ranks fifth in the NE-10 with a .783 save percentage and owns a 2.22 GAA
Up Next
Merrimack hits the road next Saturday for its only game next week, as the Navy and Gold trek down to New Haven, Connecticut, to battle Southern Connecticut State in a league matchup at 5 p.m.
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