WORCESTER, Mass. – Assumption field hockey looks to earn a trip to the NE10 Championship Game when the team faces No. 1 seed Saint Anselm on Friday at 4 p.m. on the road in Manchester, N.H. Fans can watch the contest by clicking here.
Last Time Out
The Hounds reached the NE10 Semifinals by upsetting No. 4 seed Stonehill 1-0 in the Quarterfinals on Tuesday. Assumption's Deirdre Burchill scored the lone goal of the game in the 11th minute off a penalty corner. Courtney Sickel rifled a shot from the top of the circle and Deirdre Burchill collected the rebound to lift it up over and the goalkeepers head and into the back of the net. The Hounds fought off Stonehill for the remainder of the game to earn the 1-0 victory.
Upset Special
Tuesday marked the third straight year Assumption won in the NE10 Quarterfinals as the lower seeded team. Last year as the No. 8 seed, the Hounds traveled to No. 1 seed Pace and won 1-0 in regulation where Courtney Sickel scored the game-winning goal.
The Past
In the last eight meetings between Saint Anselm and Assumption, the Hounds have come up short six of the seven times. The Hounds beat Saint Anselm earlier this season when Saint Anselm was ranked fourth in the nation and Assumption was ranked eighth in the nation. With just under two minutes to play, the Hounds earned a penalty corner for their twelfth one of the game and second one of the quarter. Jenna Graf took a shot that was saved only for Summer Walsh to pick up the rebound and one-time the ball up and over the goalie for Assumption to earn the 1-0 upset victory over No. 4 Saint Anselm.
Last Time Out: Saint Anselm
The Hawks enter the NE10 Semifinals following a 2-0 victory over No. 8 seed Franklin Pierce on Tuesday. The Ravens held off the Hawks for the first quarter, but shortly into the second quarter Saint Anselm took a 1-0 lead. The Hawks scored again in the fourth quarter and Julia Hand earned the win as the goalkeeper with no saves.
Scouting the Hawks
Saint Anselm is ranked third in the nation with a 17-2 record and riding a five-game win streak, which dates back to Oct. 23. Senior Hannah Friend leads the Hawks with 29 points on 10 goals and nine assists followed by Carly LaCasse with 28 points (12G, 4A), Michelle Lemelin with 22 points (9G, 4A), Ericka Meissner with 20 points (8G, 4A) and Mary Nee with 15 points (5G, 5A). Junior Julia Hand has a save percentage of .875 with 11 shutouts this season. As a team, Saint Anselm is third in the NE10 with 63 goals and fourth in penalty corners with 159.
Scouting the Hounds
Assumption enters the NE10 Semifinals on a three-game win streak and has allowed zero goals over that span. The Hounds are led by junior Deirdre Burchill with 35 points on 15 goals and five assists followed by Summer Walsh with 22 points (10G, 2A), Courtney Sickel with 20 points (8G, 4A), Jennifer Beardsley with 15 points (7G, 1A), Shannon Quinlan with 12 points (4G, 4A) and Jenna Graf with 11 points (2G, 7A). Sophomore Kylie Gargiulo has a save percentage of .839 with 11 shutouts on the season. As a team, Assumption is first in the NE10 with 64 goals, third with 36 assists, and first in penalty corners with 212.