| Matchup |
#9 Merrimack (0-0) vs.
Seton Hill (0-0) |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018 (1 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Merrimack Stadium | North Andover, Mass. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – With high accolades surrounding the program including a top-ten national ranking and a top-four selection in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the No. 9 Merrimack College field hockey program will take the field for the first time in 2018 on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors welcome Seton Hill University to Merrimack Stadium for a 1 p.m. contest on campus.
2017 Rewind:
- During the first season for head coach Megan Shea, the Warriors won 11 games and finished sixth in the NE10, advancing to the conference tournament. Shea's Warriors posted two victories against nationally ranked opponents, and graduated two of the Merrimack's six all-time 100-point scorers
- All-American and three-time NE10 All-Conference selection Mary McNeil headlines the returners, and steps into a captaincy role along with classmates Delaney Yule and Samantha Bartush. McNeil needs 10 assists this season to set a new program record (38)
- Yule – last season's all-league first-team center back – and Bartush are joined by junior Miranda Judd to comprise the Warriors starting defensive line. All three played in nearly every minute together on defense last season
- The trio will play in front of junior goalkeeper Katharina Ohmen, who has nearly 2,000 minutes under her belt as a two-year start for the Warriors. Ohmen enters the year among the program leaders in goals-against-average (1.85) and save percentage (.799)
- For a full season preview, click here!
'Mack Facts:
- Merrimack welcomes 11 newcomers to the program, recruiting a 10-player freshmen class as well as a junior transfer in Alex Mondini
- McNeil is the Warriors' leading returning scorer with 16 points last year. She ranked fifth in the conference with 10 assists. Junior Lindsey Nolte potted five goals in a breakout sophomore season, the most of anything returning Warrior
- Other key contributors from last year's team who return are junior Jessica Palmer along with sophomores Colleen Ellis and Serena Rousseau. Ellis and Rousseau scored six combined goals as rookies while Palmer was a mainstay in Merrimack's midfield
- The Warriors will aim for their sixth season ever with at least 10 wins, and have a change to do it in back-to-back years for the second time in program history
- The Warriors have made three straight trips to the postseason, beginning with 2015's run to the national championship game
Poll Watch:
- The Warriors were selected ninth in the preseason edition of the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Coaches Poll
- Three other NE10 programs joined Merrimack in the rankings (LIU Post, Saint Anselm and Stonehill)
- Shippensburg earned the top spot in the poll, followed by East Stroudsburg
Inside the Series:
- Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between Seton Hill and Merrimack
- The two schools most recently met last spring in the sport of men's lacrosse; the Warriors topped the Griffins, 16-9, in the national semifinals before claiming the national championship
- Last season, Seton Hill went 4-14 with losses in eight of its final nine contests
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (11-7) – 2017 Stats |
Category |
Seton Hill (4-14) – 2017 Stats |
| 3.11 |
Scoring Offense |
0.94 |
| 2.33 |
Scoring Defense |
3.56 |
| Rylie Hammond (20-3—43) |
Leading Scorer |
Molly Childress (5-5—15) |
| Hammond (20) |
Goals Leader |
Childress / Maia Cheeks (5) |
| Mary McNeil (10) |
Assists Leader |
Childress (5) |
| Delaney Yule (6) |
Defensive Saves Leader |
Kayla Chapman (4) |
| Katharina Ohmen (2.29) |
GAA Leader |
Alexandra Piekarz (1.16) |
| Ohmen (.777) |
Save Percentage Leader |
Piekarz (.712) |
Up Next
The Warriors play two home games next weekend beginning on Saturday against East Stroudsburg University followed by a tilt against Limestone College. By games start at 1 p.m. from Merrimack Stadium.
