CAA FIELD HOCKEY WEEKLY REPORT - SEPT. 7
*The complete report in PDF format is located at the bottom of this release.*
CAA QUICK HITS:
- Four conference teams hold a .500 or better record after the second week of 2010 play. At 2-1 on the early season, Drexel is the lone league squad to maintain a winning record.
- After James Madison swept the conference awards last week, Hofstra's Genna Kovar was named Player of the Week and Northeastern's Lindsay Bennett received Rookie of the Week honors this week.
- Three CAA teams remain ranked in the 2010 Kookaburra/NFHCA Top 20 poll. Drexel and JMU each dropped two spots and now stand at No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Old Dominion fell one spot and is ranked 17th.
- Conference teams compiled an 8-9 overall record last week after going 5-11 in the opening week of play. CAA teams now own a 13-20 mark (.394) on the young season.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Genna Kovar - Hofstra
Hampton Bays, N.Y./Hampton Bays, Jr., Midfielder
Kovar recorded a stellar six goals and one assist to help lead Hofstra to its first wins of the season last week. The junior midfielder netted two goals and added an assist in the Pride's 3-1 victory over Vermont on Saturday and returned the following day to score four goals as the team routed visiting Sacred Heart, 7-2.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Lindsay Bennett - Northeastern
Kansas City, Mo./Notre Dame de Sion, Fr., Forward
Bennett scored her first collegiate goal on Sunday in Northeastern's matchup against visiting Maine. The freshman forward's goal would prove important, as the Huskies edged the Black Bears, 3-2, to earn their first victory of the season.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
THREE'S A WELCOMED CROWD: After receving three preseason nods in the 2010 Kookaburra/NFHCA Preseason Top 20 poll released on Aug. 24, a trio of CAA squads remain ranked after two weeks of action. Drexel maintains the league's highest ranking at No. 13, followed closely by JMU at No. 14 and ODU at No. 17. After finishing 2009 ranked 10th nationally, the Dragons began the 2010 season ranked for the first time in program history. The Dukes' No. 14 ranking marks the 45th consecutive week the team has appeared in the poll.
BREAK OUT SESSION: Drexel and Hofstra each broke out for big wins last week. The Dragons scored seven goals in their 7-1 rout of Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, with preseason All-CAA selection Susan Ciufo finding the back of the net twice on the night. Genna Kovar blasted four goals to help the Pride roll to a 7-2 victory over Sacred Heart on Sunday.
CLOSE AS A WHISKER: Seven contests involving five CAA squads were decided by a single goal in the second week of action, with the league going 2-5 after all was said and done. Northeastern and Drexel both picked up wins in close contests. After dropping a 2-1 heartbreaker to in-state foe Massachusetts on Friday, the Huskies rebounded with a 3-2 triumph over Maine two days later. Drexel followed suit by blanking Ohio, 1-0, on Sunday.
HOME SWEET HOME: After only playing three contests at home during the opening weekend of play, CAA teams played 13 of their 18 games at home last week. Hofstra and VCU, both having dropped a pair of road contests to open 2010 play, took advantage of being on their home turf and went undefeated last weekend. The Pride knocked off Vermont and Sacred Heart in Hempstead, while the Rams downed Northwestern and Saint Joseph's at the friendly confines of Cary Field. CAA teams collectively went 7-6 at home last week.
SAVE IT FOR THE SOPHOMORES: Sophomores currently lead each of the conference's goalkeeping statistical categories. Northeastern's Lizzie Priest has collected a league-high 31 saves and 7.75 saves per game in her four games between the pipes, while JMU's Margo Savage has posted a pair of shutouts with a 0.71 goals against average and a .824 save percentage in the Dukes' four matchups. After suffering just her fifth loss in 24 career starts for Drexel in the team's season-opening loss to 2009 national runner-up Maryland, CAA preseason all-conference selection Jenna Phillips bounced back to earn two wins last week, allowing just one goal in the Dragons' two contests.
RAMS ON THE RISE: After losing a pair of one-goal decisions to open the season, VCU evened its record after racking up wins over Northwestern and Saint Joseph's last week. The Rams, who received just one vote in the NFHCA preseason poll, garnered 49 in the latest poll released on Tuesday and now rank as the sixth leading vote-getter outside the poll's top 20. Two other teams - Northeastern and Delaware - also received votes in this week's poll.
ON THE DEFENSE: Four Towson players have tallied at least one defensive save to date this season, including junior midfielder Kim Schnell who has posted two stops. The Tigers also lead the league in total defensive saves with five. ODU is the next closest in the category with three overall stops on the season.
TEAM NOTES:
DELAWARE (1-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): In its lone game last weekend, Delaware was edged, 4-3, by a Cornell squad that is now undefeated on the season. Sophomore forward and West Chester transfer Melissa LeNoir came up big for the Blue Hens, scoring her first two goals of the season, one of which sent the game to overtime.
No. 13 DREXEL (2-1 overall, 0-0 in CAA): After dropping its season-opener to No. 2 Maryland, the Dragons picked up a pair of wins against Ohio and cross-town rival St. Joseph last week. Preseason All-CAA forward Susan Ciufo netted a pair of goals as Drexel routed the Hawks, 7-1, on Wednesday and tallied the lone goal in the Dragons' 1-0 victory over the Bobcats on Sunday.
HOFSTRA (2-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): The Pride evened its record to 2-2 last week after knocking off Vermont and Sacred Heat at home. Junior midfielder Genna Kovar lit up the scoreboard with six goals and an assist in the two games to help Hofstra beat the Catamounts, 3-1, on Saturday and send the Pioneers packing by a 5-2 score on Sunday.
No. 14 JAMES MADISON (2-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): JMU dropped close contests to No. 10 Duke and then-No. 13 Louisville at home over the weekend. The Dukes suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday before dropping a 1-0 nailbiter to the Blue Devils to wrap up the weekend. Senior midfielder Dolores de Rooij scored the Dukes' lone goal and redshirt sophomore Margo Savage made eight saves in the team's one-goal losses.
NORTHEASTERN (1-3 overall, 0-0 in CAA): The Huskies split their pair of home games last weekend, falling, 2-1, to Massachusetts and earning a 3-2 victory over Maine. Sophomore forward Crystal Poland tallied a goal in both games, including the game winer against the Black Bears. CAA Rookie of the Week Lindsay Bennett netted her first collegiate goal in the win as well.
No. 17 OLD DOMINION (1-3 overall, 0-0 in CAA): ODU faced a pair of top-20 foes for the second straight week when it faced No. 2 Maryland and No. 3 Virginia last weekend. Senior midfielder Loran Hatch scored all three of her team's goals on the weekend, as the Lady Monarch's fell, 3-2, to the Terrapins before suffering a 5-2 setback against the Cavaliers. Hatch's two goals against UVa. tied a career high.
TOWSON (1-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): After dropping a 3-2 decision to Davidson in the first game of its North Carolina swing, Towson returned to the field on Sunday to capture its first win of 2010 with a 2-0 shutout of Appalachian State. Sophomore forward Kasie Nurko found the back of the net twice for the Tigers, scoring a goal in each of the team's road contests.
VCU (2-2 overall, 0-0 in CAA): After falling in an early 0-2 hole this season, VCU picked up a pair of victories last weekend. The Rams pounded visiting Northwestern, 4-1, on Friday before blanking Saint Joseph's, 2-0, to wrap up the weekend. Sophomore forward and Temple transfer Arialle Hess recorded two goals against the Wildcats, while junior keeper Erin Jablonski shined between the pipes with eight saves and her first career shut out in the Rams' win over the Hawks.
WILLIAM & MARY (1-3 overall, 0-0 in CAA): The Tribe could not overcome its offensive woes last weekend as it fell to Northwestern, 4-1, and in-state foe Radford, 6-1. Senior Erica Eng tallied both scores for W&M and now owns nine career goals.