CAA FIELD HOCKEY WEEKLY REPORT - AUG. 31
*Complete release in PDF format located at the bottom of this release*
CAA QUICK HITS:
- James Madison is the only team in the league to remain undefeated after the first weekend of the 2010 season. Three teams split their opening pair of contests and now stand 1-1 on the year.
- The Dukes swept the CAA weekly awards for the first time since current JMU sophomore Tori Lindsey nabbed both player and rookie of the week honors on Oct. 5 last season.
- Three CAA teams were ranked in the 2010 Kookaburra/NFHCA Preseason Top 20 poll, one more than last year when JMU and ODU began the year ranked in the top 20.
- Conference teams compiled a 5-11 overall record and a 1-3 mark against nationally-ranked opponents in the opening weekend of 2010 play.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Amy Daniel - James Madison
Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood, Sr., Back
Daniel scored three goals and added two assists to help lead James Madison to a pair of shutout victories over Rutgers and Kent State last weekend. Her three goals in the Dukes' season-opener against Rutgers, including the game-winner, marked her first career hat trick. Entering the game, the senior back had netted five goals and four assists for 14 points in her three-year career.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Amy Goldstein - James Madison
Lititz, Pa./Warwick, Fr., Back
Goldstein posted her first career goal in the opening half of JMU's 4-0 win over Kent State at home on Sunday. The freshman back recorded two points and two shots on goal to begin her collegiate career for the Dukes.
CAA PRESEASON FIELD HOCKEY PICKS: After earning its first regular season conference title in school history last season, Drexel has been picked as the favorite to capture the 2010 field hockey crown according to a vote by the league's head coaches. Drexel received five first-place votes and 59 total points to garner the top spot in the preseason poll. Old Dominion, which has claimed 13 of the CAA's 19 field hockey titles, tallied three first-place votes and 54 points overall to edge out four-time conference champion James Madison, who received 50 total points. Defending league champion Delaware received one first-place vote and 47 points overall to take fourth, and Northeastern claimed the fifth spot with 34 total points. William & Mary was selected sixth (27), followed by Hofstra (26), VCU (17) and Towson (10).
CAA PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE PICKS: Drexel senior forward Christina Mastropaolo has been chosen as the 2010 CAA preseason field hockey Player of the Year in a vote by the conference's head coaches. Joining Mastropaolo on the preseason All-CAA squad are teammates Susan Ciufo and Jenna Phillips, Delaware's Michelle Drummonds and Missy Woodie, Hofstra's Genna Kovar, JMU's Dolores de Rooij, NU's Kaela Barker and Crystal Poland, VCU's Marle van Dessel and W&M's Maria Caro.
THREE'S A WELCOMED CROWD: After receving a pair of preseason nods in last year's Kookaburra/NFHCA Top 20 poll, a trio of CAA squads were ranked in this year's preseason poll released on Aug. 24. Drexel garnered the league's highest ranking at No. 11, followed closely by JMU at No. 12 and ODU at No. 16. After finishing 2009 ranked 10th nationally, the Dragons begin the 2010 season ranked for the first time in program history. The Dukes' No. 12 preseason ranking marks the 44th consecutive week the team has appeared in the poll.
A BLANK SLATE: JMU blanked both Rutgers and Kent State to open 2010 play. The Dukes, the only team in the league to record a pair of shutouts last weekend, have now started at least 2-0 for six consecutive seasons. Amy Daniel shined in the team's 6-0 route of the Scarlet Knights, as the senior back broke out for a hat trick and an assist on the evening. Daniel's seven points equals half of the 14 points she had previously posted in her three-year career with the Dukes.
UP FOR A CHALLENGE: After playing four teams ranked among the nation's top 20 last weekend, CAA teams will again challenge themselves by facing another four preseason nationally-ranked squads this week. Old Dominion, scheduled for 13 games against ranked opponents in 2010, visits No. 2-ranked Maryland and No. 3-ranked Virginia this weekend, while JMU plays host to No.-10 ranked Duke and No. 13-ranked Louisville. Other league teams are set to face four squads that received votes in the preseason poll this weekend.
HOME SWEET HOME: After only playing three contests at home during the opening weekend of play, CAA teams will play 13 of their 18 games at home this week. James Madison went 2-0 at home versus Rutgers and Kent State last weekend, while Drexel fell to Maryland on its home turf at Buckley Field. This weekend only Drexel, Old Dominion and Towson face road contests. The Dragons visit cross-town rival Villanova on Friday, the Lady Monarchs face Maryland and Virginia and the Tigers head to North Carolina for matchups against Davidson and Appalachian State.
SAVE IT FOR THE SOPHOMORES: Sophomores currently lead each of the conference's statistical categories for goalkeepers. Northeastern's Lizzie Priest collected a league-high 18 saves in her two matches last weekend, while JMU's Margo Savage recorded a pair of shutouts for a 1.000 save percentage. CAA preseason all-conference selection Jenna Phillips suffered just her fifth loss in 24 career starts as Drexel fell to 2009 national runner-up Maryland on Friday.
DELAWARE (1-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): Delaware opened the season with a 1-1 record at New Hampshire's Wildcat Tournament as it beat Vermont on Saturday, 4-2, before falling to host UNH on Sunday by a narrow 2-1 margin. Senior back Michelle Drummonds was named to the all-tournament team after scoring two goals and an assist to lead the Hens. Joining her on the squad were teammates Amanda McCardell and Missy Woodie.
No. 11 DREXEL (0-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): Drexel dropped to 0-1 on the young season when it fell, 4-2, to No. 2-ranked Maryland at home. Drexel found itself in a 3-0 deficit heading into the second half of play before getting goals from seniors Kim Tunell and Christina Mastropaolo. Mastropaolo's goal cut the Terrapin lead to 3-2, but the Dragons could not capitalize in the closing minutes. Sophomore preseason all-conference goalkeeper Jenna Phillips lost just her fifth game in 24 career starts for the Dragons.
HOFSTRA (0-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): Hofstra began its season with a 3-0 loss to Boston University on Saturday, marking just the second time in the last eight years the Pride have dropped their season-opener. Hofstra then lost a 1-0 nailbiter to Albany the following day. Junior goalkeeper Amanda Heyde tallied 11 saves in more than 153 minutes in the cage in the Pride's opening pair of contests.
No. 12 JAMES MADISON (2-0 overall, 0-0 in CAA): JMU captured wins in both its games this weekend, shutting out Rutgers, 6-0, on Friday before returning to the field to blank Kent State by a 4-0 count on Sunday. Senior back Amy Daniel netted her first career hat trick, including the game-winner, and an assist against the Scarlet Knights. Rookie back Amy Goldstein tallied her first collegiate goal in the win over Kent State, and sophomore goalie Margo Savage recorded six saves to earn the first two shutouts of her career.
NORTHEASTERN (0-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): NU opened the 2010 season with a pair of losses on the road, losing to Northwestern, 4-2, on Saturday and to eighth-ranked Syracuse by a score of 4-1. The Huskies went up, 2-0, against Northwestern on goals from junior Kaela Barker and sophomore Allison Conti before the Wildcats netted four consecutive goals. Senior Anne-Rieke Stuhlmann scored NU's lone goal against the Orange on Sunday.
No. 16 OLD DOMINION (1-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): ODU opened its 2010 slate with a 1-1 record. Despite equalling 18th-ranked Penn State's shot total on Friday, the Lady Monarchs were blanked, 4-0, by the Nittany Lions before evening their record with a 2-1 victory over 15th-ranked American on Sunday. Senior forward Anna Kern and sophomore midfielder Julie Hodge each tallied goals against American to improve ODU's all-time record against the Eagles to 25-2.
TOWSON (0-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): Towson lost its season opener to Richmond, 2-1, to fall to 0-1 on the year. Freshman forward Kathleen Morris scored her first collegiate goal, and junior midfielder Jamie Salvadore added an assist and a defensive save in the Tigers' loss.
VCU (0-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): VCU dropped its first season opener under head coach Kelly McQuade on Friday as the Rams fell, 3-2, to host Albany in the Capital Land College Classic. VCU was edged, 2-1, by Boston University as it closed out tournament play on Sunday. Senior midfielder Marle van Dessel's goal against the Terriers of BU was the 26th of her career, tying her for fifth place on the Rams' all-time career list.
WILLIAM & MARY (1-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): W&M split its pair of neutral-site contests against Kent State and Rutgers to open 2010 play. The Tribe suffered a 4-1 loss to Kent State on Friday before returning to the field two days later to shut out Rutgers, 1-0. Junior goalie Camilla Hill notched her second career shutout and senior forward Rebecca Wagner scored her 11th career goal in the Tribe's fourth-straight win over the Scarlet Knights.