No. 3 Connecticut celebrates a 3-0 win over No. 10 Delaware on Sunday during the Huskies' annual Pink Game.
#BIGEASTfh Minute – At The Turn, Connecticut Sits Alone On Top
NEW YORK – Halfway through league play, the Connecticut Huskies are undefeated at the top of the BIG EAST field hockey standings at 4-0, having defeated Providence on Friday, 3-0. UConn has won 36 consecutive league games dating back to 2013. Tied at second is Old Dominion and Liberty. ODU won a key 3-2 victory over the Lady Flames on Friday afternoon to hold the tiebreaker. The Monarchs and Flames are 2-1 in league play. ODU’s lone loss is to UConn.
Three of the four league games on Friday came down to one-goal decisions.
Providence is currently alone at fourth place with a 2-2 record. The Friars defeated New Hampshire 4-1 on Sunday in non-conference action.
Villanova, Temple, Georgetown and Quinnipiac each have one win each with three losses. The Wildcats continued on a hot streak, having won their last three games with a 2-1 win over the Bobcats on Friday and a 8-3 win over La Salle on Sunday. Temple defeated Georgetown in overtime on Friday, 2-1. The Owls lost to Lafayette 1-0 in OT on Sunday, while Georgetown lost to Towson, 3-2, in double overtime. Maine shutout Quinnipiac 4-0.
The BIG EAST leaders went 2-1 in non-league action on Sunday as the Huskies dominated No. 10 Delaware 3-0. UConn led 11-8 in shots. The Huskies didn't allow a Blue Hen shot in the fourth quarter. Liberty defeated Longwood by the same score. Old Dominion lost a close one 1-0 at No. 4 Duke. The Blue Devils scored in the 29th minute.
League game recaps are below:
TEMPLE 2, GEORGETOWN 1 (OT)
The Temple win over Georgetown (5-9 overall) on the road on Friday afternoon snapped the Owls’ three-game losing skid this season and 18-game losing streak in BIG EAST regular season action. The game got off to a slow start, with just one shot going on the board in the first quarter. Temple (5-6 overall) came out of halftime on fire, with Becky Gerhart scoring her first goal of the season. The Hoyas evened the score late in the fourth quarter, forcing the team's first overtime game of the season. Temple junior Dani Batze (M/B) recorded the game-winner for Temple, a team-leading third of the season. The Owls had a season-high 13 penalty corners against Georgetown, seven more than the Hoyas. Crististina Carotenuto posted four saves for the second game in a row, increasing her season total to 21. Ciara Weets made three saves for Georgetown.
VILLANOVA 2, QUINNIPIAC 1
Villanova (6-6 overall) also won its first league game of the season, 2-1 at Quinnipiac (3-10 overall). Wildcat senior forward Megan Vermeil got the Wildcats on the board three minutes into the first quarter with an unassisted goal. Quinnipiac’s Julianna Cappello scored just two minutes later, evening the score to one all. The Bobcats scored again in the second quarter, but after the goal was challenged and reviewed, the scoring play was taken off the board. Senior Lydia Sydnor put the Wildcats ahead 2-1, scoring her tenth goal of the season off a penalty corner in the 43rd minute. VU sophomore goalkeeper Jordan McGinley made three saves in the game.
No. 22 OLD DOMINION 3, No. 15 LIBERTY 2
Old Dominion earned the win in the battle of the ranked league opponents on Friday, 3-2, at Liberty. ODU senior Tori Harwood scored twice in the Monarch victory. The Flames came out in the first quarter firing on offense, but sophomore goalkeeper Cam MacGillivray was ready for the onslaught, as she corralled five saves in the first 15 minutes of action. The scoreless tie would break in the 23rd minute, as Liberty’s Alivia Klopp would finally get one by MacGillivray for her third goal of the campaign to give the Flames (8-3 overall) the first lead of the day. The Monarchs (7-5 overall) scored their first goal in the 36th minute, as senior Rebecca Birch was awarded a penalty stroke and took advantage to tie the game at one apiece. Shortly after the Birch goal, Harwood netted the Monarchs’ second goal to give her team a 2-1 lead. Harwood took a pass from sophomore Riley Taylor and scored her first goal of the season on a fast break. The Monarchs went into the game’s final quarter with a one-goal lead, but that quickly evaporated as Liberty’s Daniella Rhodes scored her ninth goal of the season to bring the two teams into a 2-2 tie. Just over three minutes later, Harwood would net her second goal of the game passed Flames goalie Allison Schaefer to put the Monarchs ahead for good, 3-2. MacGillivray earned her seventh win of the season after collecting eight saves.
No. 3 CONNECTICUT 3, PROVIDENCE 0
Three different Huskies scored as UConn shutout Providence, 3-0, on Friday night. Husky sophomore Maddy Wray, freshman Sophie Hamilton and freshman Erica Solomen each scored against the Friars. Solomen's was the first goal of her collegiate career. Connecticut redshirt sophomore Cheyenne Sprecher was outstanding in goal, making eight saves in her seventh shutout of the season. After a scoreless first quarter, Wray found the back of the cage after taking a rebound and scoring on the doorstep. It was Wray's first game back after missing the last three. Five of Sprecher's saves came in the fourth quarter, including one with less than 10 seconds left in the game. UConn led 19-13 in shots and 6-1 in penalty corners. Connecticut is 12-2 overall this season. Providence is 8-5.
#BIGEASTfh Weekend Results
Friday, Oct. 11
TEMPLE 2, GEORGETOWN 1 (OT)
VILLANOVA 2, QUINNIPIAC 1
#22 OLD DOMINION 3, #15 LIBERTY 2
#3 CONNECTICUT 3, PROVIDENCE 0
Sunday, Oct. 13
#3 CONNECTICUT 3, #10 Delaware 0
#15 LIBERTY 3, Longwood 0
Maine 4, QUINNIPIAC 0
VILLANOVA 8, La Salle 3
PROVIDENCE 4, New Hampshire 1
Lafayette 1, TEMPLE 0 (OT)
#4 Duke 1, #22 OLD DOMINION 0
Towson 3, GEORGETOWN 2 (2OT)