Sept. 18, 2008

Setting the Scene... The Pioneers field hockey team takes on two Northeast rivals this weekend as they visit Hofstra on Friday at 3:00 pm and then head up I-95 to take on Yale Sunday at 2:00 pm.

Scouting the Pride... Hofstra starts the weekend at 4-1 on the season, coming off wins over Missouri State and Fairfield last week. Charlia Warner leads the Pride offense with 14 points, inlcuding six goals and two assists. Brit Blankmeyer has three goals on the season. Krisha Giammarco and Amanda Heyde have split time in goal with Heyede posting the better numbers, a 2.00 goals against average in four games.

Scouting the Bulldogs... Yale starts the weekend at 1-2 having faced some stiff competition in the early going this year. Four different Bulldogs have scored goals. Junior Ashley McCauley, who had one assist as a freshman, asserted herself as a true scoring threat by racking up 15 goals and five assists last year and returns to lead the Yale attack. On the defensive side junior Charlotte Goins played every minute of every game in the cage last season. At one point she had a streak of 182:06 without allowing a goal, and by the end of the year she was third in the NCAA in save percentage (.804) and fifth in saves per game (8.71).

Last Time Out... The Pioneers picked up their first win of the season, downing Fairfield, 4-1, in their home opener Friday afternoon. SHU scored three goal in just over three minutes in the second half to take control of the game. Freshman Chelsea Carlson tallied her first collegiate points, assisting on the game winning goal and then scoring her first goal just minutes later. Senior Carisa Eye scored two goals in the game. Senior Whitney Mills made 10 saves in goal to bring her season total to 58 saves in just five games.

Eye Flies High... Arguably the best offensive player in Sacred Heart history, Carisa Eye returns for her final season leading the Pioneer offense. Last year, she earned First Team All-Northeast Conference and Second Team All-Mideast Region honors with her play, helping lead the Pioneers to the playoffs. She begins her senior season as the school record holder in several key offensive scoring categories. She scored two goals last week against Fairfield and leads the team with three tallies on the season.

New Faces in New Places... Seven new faces will appear on the Campus Field turf this fall for the Pioneers. Nre Hampshire native Chelsea Carlson has already earned Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honors for the week of September 8-14 for her play against Fairfield when she scored her first collegiate goal and recorded an assist.

Up Next... The Pioneers open their NEC schedule next Friday when they host Robert Morris at 12:00 pm. SHU will then travel to Philadelphia on Sunday to visit St. Joseph's.