#6 Field Hockey Visits #9 Stonehill Tuesday
Links: Live Stats
EASTON, Mass. – The sixth-ranked Merrimack College field hockey team will open their final week of the regular season with a visit to Stonehill College to take on the ninth-ranked Skyhawks in a huge Northeast-10 Conference game as both teams sit 8-2 in league play.
The Basics
Date/Time: Oct. 27, 2015 | 7:00 p.m.
Records: #6 Merrimack (12-3, 8-2 NE-10) | #9 Stonehill (10-5, 8-2 NE-10)
Location: W.B. Mason Stadium | Easton, Mass.
NE-10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-six programs in the NE-10 standings advance to the NE-10 Championship, with the top-two teams receiving a bye. The three and four seeds will host quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Warriors have one game remaining in the regular season following their matchup with Stonehill on Tuesday.
1. Assumption (9-1)
2. Merrimack (8-2)
3. Adelphi (8-2)
4. Stonehill (8-2)
5. Saint Anselm (7-3)
6. LIU Post (6-4)
7. Bentley (6-4)
8. Franklin Pierce (4-6)
Last Time Out:
The Warriors defeated their third top-10 opponent of the season when they beat #8 Adelphi in a 1-0 shutout at Martone-Mejail Field on Senior Day this past Friday. Senior goalkeeper
Madison Davis (San Jose, Calif.) would make seven saves in her third shutout of the season and the 11
th of her career. The lone goal for Merrimack would be scored by freshman
Mary McNeil (Canton, Mass.) on a nice tip in front of the net on a shot from fellow freshman
Delaney Yule (Southbury, Conn.).
Earlier This Season vs. Stonehill:These two teams would meet back in mid-September in what was the fourth game of the season for both squads. Stonehill also entered that game in North Andover ranked ninth in the country, while the Warriors were unranked at the time.
Merrimack would win the game 4-2 to improve their record to 3-1, while Stonehill fell to 1-3. McNeil would highlight the scoring for the Warriors, posting the first two-goal game of her career early in her rookie season. McNeil has since also added a hat trick to her resume this year.
The Warriors:
- McNeil currently sits second in the conference in both goals (12) and points (32). Her eight assists have her tied for third in the NE-10.
- Davis is second in the conference in save percentage (.819) and also top-five in goals-against (15) and goals-against average (1.20)
- With a win on Tuesday, the Warriors would match their highest win total since 2013, when the team reached the Final Four.
The Skyhawks:
- Stonehill is 10-5 on their season, including a matching 8-2 in-conference record with the Warriors. The Skyhawks are currently on a three-game win streak, and have won four out of their last five.
- The Skyhawks have been guided this season by senior Erika Kelly, who has led the NE-10 in scoring all season long. Kelly leads the conference in all three major statistical categories including 19 goals, which is one shy of tying the NE-10 record, and 10 assists for 48 points.
Up Next
The Warriors will play their regular season finale at #10 Saint Anselm on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., after which the conference tournament bracket will be sorted.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
