#BIGEASTfh Ready For Conference Championship Weekend
No. 4 UConn, Liberty, Providence and Temple are set to compete in the BIG EAST Championship, Nov. 4 and 6 in Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After seven eventful weeks of conference field hockey, the top four teams from the regular season are ready to compete at the 2016 BIG EAST Championship, presented by Jeep, this weekend at The Temple Sports Complex and Howarth Field in Philadelphia, Pa. This year’s field hockey championship is the 28
th in conference history and will see No. 4 Connecticut, Liberty, Providence and Temple fighting for a conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Game 1: #1 Connecticut vs. #4 Temple, 1p.m.
Fourth-ranked and top-seeded Connecticut enters the postseason with an impressive perfect 18-1 overall record, looking for a fifth consecutive BIG EAST Championship along with a 28
th NCAA appearance. The Huskies have maintained their reputation as a top competitor having outscored their opponents 96-23 with five shutouts. They are led by BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Charlotte Veitner and BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year Anna Middendorf. Veitner led the league in shots (39), and is tied for first in points (17). Overall, she leads the Huskies with 60 points on 23 goals and 14 assists. Middendorf has also been essential for UConn’s offense supplying 26 points with 11 goals and 4 assists.
The top-seeded Huskies will face fourth seed and host Temple in the first game of the championship. The Owls (7-11, 3-4 BIG EAST) will be looking to avenge a 6-0 defeat at the hands of UConn, Sept. 23 in Storrs, Conn. The Owls were 6-5 on their home turf during the 2016 regular season and were led offensively by junior midfielder Rachael Mueller, who has a team-best 10 goals and 20 points. Defensively, freshman Becky Gerhart is third in the country with eight defensive saves. BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Maddie Lilliock (7-11-0, 3.13 GAA) has started all 18 games in goal for Temple, recording 121 saves and one shutout. She averages 6.72 saves per contest, which ranks 13th-best in the nation.
Game 2: #2 Liberty vs. #3 Providence, 4 p.m.
In the second matchup of the championship, league newcomer Liberty will play Providence in its program’s first BIG EAST Championship game. Coming into the tournament both teams are tied at 5-2 in BIG EAST play, with Liberty earning the second seed with a 2-1 win over the Friars on Oct. 21. Overall, the Lady Flames finished the regular season 7-9, led by BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Serena Barr. The senior paces the Lady Flames with 25 points on 11 assists and seven goals. She also helped the Liberty record two shutouts during the regular season, over Georgetown and Temple. Over the season, Liberty outscored their opponents 46-39 and held a 113-67 advantage over their opponents in penalty corners drawn in the regular season. The team ranks No. 21 in the country in penalty corners per game (7.06). The senior was also effective offensively for Liberty registering a team-high 25 points on 11 assists and seven goals. Liberty also gets help from BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Allison Schaefer, who checks in at 10th in the country in saves per game (6.88) and 16th in save percentage (.738).
With an overall 13-5 record, Providence is making its 16
th appearance at the BIG EAST Championship and its seventh all-time under the direction of Head Coach Diane Madl. The Friars punched their ticket into the BIG EAST Tournament with a 1-0 win over Old Dominion in overtime. It marked the Friars’ first-ever victory over the Monarchs. This season the Friars were led by Adrienne Houle with a team-high 21 points on nine goals and three assists. Her 21 points and nine goals mark single-season career highs. Four of her nine goals have been game winners. Anchoring the Friar defense has been junior goalie Megan Guilbert, who has started each of the Friars’ 18 games.She ranks second among BIG EAST goalkeepers in overall goals against average (1.42), save percentage (0.738) and shutouts (three). In BIG EAST regular-season play, she finished the year ranked first in save percentage (0.778) and second in goals against average (1.37).
The 2016 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship will broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network via the FOX Sports GO app.