| Matchup |
#5 Merrimack (17-3) vs
#10 Saint Anselm (15-5) |
| Date/Time |
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 (1 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Duane Stadium | North Andover, Mass. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch |
| Social Media |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The No. 5 and second-seeded Merrimack College field hockey program will host its third Northeast-10 Conference Championship game ever and first in six years when the Warriors welcome No. 10 and fourth-seeded Saint Anselm to Duane Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The NE10 Final is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Merrimack will look to capture its first-ever conference tournament crown; the program does boast regular season titles in the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.
Ticket prices will remain the same as Friday's game: Adults will be charged $6 and seniors/children $4. Admission will also be
CASH ONLY. All Merrimack students with a valid Mack Card will receive free entry, while any student from another NE10 institution will be charged $1.
NE10 Championship Schedule
Tuesday, November 13
Quarterfinals – at Higher Seeds
Game 1: #8 Assumption def. #1 Pace (1-0)
Game 2: #2 Merrimack def. #7 Bentley (3-1)
Game 3: #6 Stonehill def. #3 LIU Post (7-1)
Game 4: #4 Saint Anselm def. #5 Southern New Hampshire (4-2)
Friday, November 16
Semifinals – at Higher Seeds
Game 5: #8 Assumption at #4 Saint Anselm (3-2 STA)
Game 6: #6 Stonehill at #2 Merrimack (2-1 MC)
Sunday, November 18
Championship (to be held at highest remaining seed)
Game 6: #6 Stonehill at #2 Merrimack (1 p.m.)
Inside the Series:
- Merrimack is 15-6 all-time against Saint Anselm, dating back to 2003.
- One of those defeats came less than two weeks ago, when the Hawks came into Duane Stadium and handed the Warriors just their second home defeat of 2018
- Sophomore Colleen Ellis scored in the first half of the regular season meeting as Merrimack took a 1-0 lead into half. The Hawks roared back via four second-half goals, however, to emerge victorious. Junior Katharina Ohmen posted a game-high eight saves, while senior Delaney Yule added a defensive stop of her own
Five Things to Know:
- Merrimack's road to the NE10 Final has featured a 3-1 win in the quarterfinals against seventh-seeded Bentley and Friday's 2-1 triumph over Stonehill in the semis. Five different Warriors have scored so far in the conference tournament while Ohmen has made 11 saves on 13 shots on goal
- Friday's game saw Merrimack dominate the first half, outshooting the Skyhawks by seven (8-1). The Warriors' first goal came off Ellis' stick, while their second was delivered by junior Alex Mondini via a redirection. Stonehill turned the tables on Merrimack in the second half, controlling possession, but the Warriors' defense proved stout to claim the victory
- Senior Mary McNeil – Merrimack's leader in nearly every offensive statistic – boasts one assist so far in the conference tourney. She leads her team in goals (16), assists (14), and points (46) while also ranking second in the country in assists per game (.74), and seventh in points per game (2.42). She sits two assists away from tying the program's single-season record, as well
- As a team, Merrimack ranks fifth in the country in goals per game (3.40), seventh in points per game (8.65), second in save percentage (.824), fifth scoring average (3.37), fourth in scoring margin (2.18), third in winning percentage (.850), and first in penalty corners per game (12.65)
- Merrimack also received a NE10-leading eight all-conference selections during tournament week: Yule was named NE10 Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player ever at Merrimack to win the award. Ohmen was named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, and fellow senior captain McNeil joined the major award winners as a all-conference first-team member. Junior Miranda Judd received second team honors, senior Samantha Bartush and junior Jessica Palmer received third team honors, and freshmen Juliane Ohmen and Bridget Shanahan were slated as part of the all-rookie team.
Inside the Matchup:
| #5 Merrimack (17-3) |
Category |
#10 Saint Anselm (15-5) |
| 3.40 |
Scoring Offense |
3.00 |
| 1.20 |
Scoring Defense |
1.17 |
| Mary McNeil (16-14—46) |
Leading Scorer |
Abby Walker (11-3-25) |
| McNeil (16) |
Goals Leader |
Walker (11) |
| McNeil (14) |
Assists Leader |
Hannah Friend (9) |
| Miranda Judd/Delaney Yule (3) |
Defensive Saves Leader |
Kaeleigh Lord (4) |
| Katharina Ohmen (1.32) |
GAA Leader |
Julia Hand (1.28) |
| Ohmen (.806) |
Save Percentage Leader |
Hand (.729) |
Up Next
Regardless of Sunday's result, the Warriors have put themselves in good position to earn a berth in the Division II NCAA Field Hockey Championship. Merrimack was ranked second in the East Region in the final NCAA DII regional poll. Six programs advance to the NCAA Tournament, which will be unveiled on Monday at 3 p.m. on the
NCAA Selection Show.
