Field Hockey #CAAChamps Preview

11/5/2015 1:00:00 PM

Tim McDonnell

Field Hockey #CAAChamps Central

RICHMOND, Va. (November 5, 2015) – The 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship gets underway on Friday at James Madison University’s Field Hockey Complex, in Harrisonburg, Va., with four teams vying for the conference title and the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Field Hockey Championship.

The championship returns to Harrisonburg for the first time since 1999 as the Dukes, who finished CAA play with a perfect 6-0 record, earned the No. 1 overall seed for the first time since 2008.

The semifinal format begins on Friday, November 6 at 3:00 p.m. when the Dukes (13-5, 6-0 in CAA), who are ranked No. 16 nationally, take on fourth-seeded Drexel (8-10, 4-2 in CAA). Madison defeated the Dragons, 4-0, in Harrisonburg during the regular season in the lone meeting between the two schools. Friday’s second semifinal game features the second-seeded Delaware Blue Hens (14-5, 4-2 in CAA) squaring off against third-seeded Hofstra (14-5, 4-2 in CAA) at 5:45 p.m. The 15th-ranked Blue Hens, who have been ranked nationally since Sept. 8, defeated the Pride on the road during the regular season by a 4-2 score.

The championship game is slated for a 2:00 p.m. start on Sunday, November 8.

James Madison, led by head coach Christy Morgan, has won four CAA titles in program history, including one under the guidance of Morgan in 1995 during her first stint as the team’s coach. JMU went through conference play with an unblemished record, a feat that was most recently accomplished by UD in 2013. The Dukes’ non-conference schedule proved to benefit the team as it included five ranked teams, four of whom are still ranked in the Top 12 currently. Madison allowed the fewest goals in the CAA through the regular season (32) for a 1.76 goals against average as a team. Individually, senior Taylor West established herself as one of the top offensive threats in the league, having scored 15 goals to go along with two assists for 32 points. It also helps to have reliable senior defender/midfielder Loes Stijntjes, who enters the weekend having started all 72 games of her four-year career.

JMU made last year’s championship field as the No. 4 seed and advanced to the title game only to lose to Delaware (2-1). Ironically, Delaware, the two-time defending champions, is looking to become the first CAA team since JMU (2006-08) to earn the rare three-peat.

For the second straight season, Delaware enters the CAA tournament as the No. 2 seed. While the Hens have won back-to-back titles, it’s also their fifth straight appearance in the championship field. UD paced the conference through the regular season with three wins over ranked foes and also enters the championship with the highest RPI among CAA competitors (16), compared to JMU (18), Hofstra (26) and Drexel (29). Statistically speaking, the Blue Hens have been very balanced on offense with four players recording at least 20 points in the regular season. It all starts with senior Michaela Patzner (NFHCA All-American in 2013) and junior Esmee Peet (NFHCA All-American in 2014), who’ve combined for 21 goals and 12 assists this fall. Don’t overlook UD’s talented freshmen duo of Greta Nauck and Lisa Giezeman, who rank third and fourth on the team with 25 and 23 points, respectively. Both have scored 10 goals in their first collegiate season.

Hofstra was one win away from clinching the regular season CAA title as well as right to host the championship, before losing to JMU in Harrisonburg last Sunday in the team’s regular season finale. Still, the Pride and coach Kathy De Angelis have to be excited as the program returns to the championship tournament for the first time since 2012. When Hofstra’s offense is clicking, it’s proven to be one of the most dangerous units in the conference. HU enters the weekend ranking fourth in Division I in points per game (10.63), fifth in scoring average (3.78), fifth in goals per game (3.79) and sixth in assists per game (3.05). Junior Claudia Marin Samper has had a remarkable season and leads the CAA in points (54), goals (19), assists (16) and game-winning goals (4). Likewise, the Schoen sisters – Stella (junior) and Simca (sophomore) – rank second and third on the squad with 39 and 32 points, respectively.

Drexel missed the championship last season, but is the last team before Delaware to capture the CAA crown, winning the trophy in 2012. DU entered the final weekend of the regular season needing one win to clinch a spot in the championship and it did that and more, beating Delaware last Friday, and Towson two days later to finish in a tie for second place in the league standings. Drexel is led by junior Jessica McCarthy, who’s started all 18 games this season while recording a team-best 12 points on five goals and two assists.

For further information regarding the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship, visit our official championship page under the championships tab at CAASports.com. Join the conversation on social media by using the official CAA Championships hashtag, #CAAChamps. The CAA’s primary social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat – find us by searching “caasports”.

Every game of the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship will be broadcast for free and in HD by logging onto CAA.tv. Fans can utilize any internet connected device to access live video and stats and can also follow live statistics of each match by visiting CAAStats.com.

2015 CAA FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, November 6 - Semifinals (JMU Field Hockey Complex – Harrisonburg, Va.)

#4 Drexel University Dragons at #1 James Madison University Dukes – 3:00 p.m. (Live on CAA.tv)
#Drexel | @DrexelFH - #JMUDukes | @JMU_FieldHockey

#3 Hofstra University Pride vs. #2 University of Delaware Blue Hens – 5:45 p.m. (Live on CAA.tv)
#Hofstra | @HofstraFH1 - #BlueHens | @DelawareFH

Sunday, November 8 – Title Game (JMU Field Hockey Complex – Harrisonburg, Va.)

Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 – 2:00 p.m. (Live on CAA.tv)