Oct. 17, 2007

Setting the Scene... The Pioneer field hockey team opens a season-ending four game homestand this weekend with two crucial Northeast Conference games as the playoff push heats up. Friday SHU welcomes Siena to Campus Field for a 1:00 pm start. Sunday the Pioneers host Rider at 12:00 pm. Both games are the front end of a field hockey-men's soccer doubleheader at Campus Field this weekend.

Playoff Push... With two weeks left in the regular season there are still three spots in the NEC tournament up for grabs. Lock Haven as already clinched the number one seed and Rider currently sits in the number two spot. The Pioneers start the weekend a half game behind Saint Francis (PA) and Monmouth for the final playoff berth. SHU holds the tiebreaker over Saint Francis based on their head-to-head win but would lose a tie breaker to Monmouth. In the event of a three way tie the seedings could come down to goals allowed in league play.

SHU Takes Two From Local Rivals... The Pioneers took home a pair of 1-0 wins over two in-state rivals this week. SHU beat Fairfield Wednesday and Quinnipiac Sunday. Juniors Carisa Eye and Melissa Mazin scored the goals for the Pioneers.

Last Meeting vs Siena... Colleen Carney and sophomore Melissa Mazin each had a goal and assist and goaltender Whitney Mills recorded her first career shutout as Sacred Heart defeated Siena, 4-0, in last season's regular season finale.

Scouting the Saints... Siena starts their final weekend of the season with a 2-9 record and a 1-4 mark in league play. The Saints wins have come against Robert Morris and Fairfield. Siena has been outscored 40-9 on the season. Hanna LeStrange, Kristin McGorty and Andrea Caso all have a pair of goals on the year. Renne Clavette starts the weekend with a 3.33 goals against average in 11 games. Siena has not beaten Sacred Heart since 1999, seven straight meetings, and has been shutout in five of those meetings.

Last Meeting vs Rider... Colleen Carney scored the game winning goal with 6:13 left in the second overtime and Whitney Mills made 19 saves in goal as Sacred Heart beat Rider, 3-2, in double overtime last year at Rider Field. The win helped the Pioneers clinch an NEC playoff berth.

Scouting the Broncs... Rider enters the weekend in second place with a 4-1 record in league play. The Broncs, who SHU has beaten in the NEC semifinals the last two years, sport a balanced offensive attack. Stephanie Walker leads the way with six goals while Tricia Crotty has five markers. In goal, Jennifer LoCastro boasts a 1.93 goals against average and has posted two shutouts along the way.

Seeing Eye... The Pioneers welcome back the reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year, junior Carisa Eye. Eye led the league and was second in the country in scoring in 2006, tallying 32 goals and 66 points on the season. She was named Third-Team All-American by the NFHCA in addition to earning first-team All-Region honors. This year she again leads the league in scoring with 11 goals and is second in total points with 23. She was held scorless against Quinnpiac Sunday, ending a streak of five straight game with a goal.

Between the Pipes... Juniors Kristen McIntire and Whitney Mills have split time in goal in the last three games, which have all been shutouts for SHU. McIntire has posted one shutout, in the Pioneers first win of the season against Maine. She then made 17 saves against Boston College and Iowa, the second most by any goalie in the country in a game this year. McIntire has 134 saves on the season, more then any Pioneer goaltender had all of last season.

Up Next... SHU's final two home games will be October 26th against Robert Morris and October 28th against New Hampshire. Friday's game is set to start at 4:00 pm with Sunday's senior day festivities preceding the 2:30 pm scheduled game. The Northeast Conference tournament, featuring the top four teams in the league standings, will take place November 2-3 at the home of the highest seed.