GAME NOTES: Field Hockey Welcomes Vermont, Boston College to Memorial Field

Game 11: Friday, Oct. 9 (4 p.m.) – Vermont (3-9, 1-1 AE) at UNH (4-6, 1-1 AE) – Memorial Field – Durham, N.H. – Live Stats – Video

Game 12: Sunday, Oct. 11 (3 p.m.) – No. 10 Boston College (6-5, 0-3 ACC) at UNH (4-6, 1-1 AE) – Memorial Field – Durham, N.H. – Live Stats – Video

THE GAMES: The UNH field hockey team continues America East conference play Oct. 9 against the University of Vermont; game time at Memorial Field is 4 p.m. The Wildcats wrap up non-conference play Oct. 11 vs. 10^th-ranked Boston College; start time at Memorial Field is 3 p.m.

THE MATCHUPS: UNH has a 28-5 lifetime record against Vermont and that includes a 15-1 mark at home. The Wildcats have won seven consecutive Battle of the 'Cats matchups spanning the 2008-14 seasons by an aggregate score of 25-6.
UVM's most recent victory against New Hampshire was Oct. 13, 2007 (3-0 in Burlington, Vt.). The last time the Catamounts won in Durham was October 21, 2006, when they were 4-3 victors in overtime; since then the Wildcats have won four consecutive home games.
In the most recent matchup, UNH prevailed 5-1 at Memorial Field last October. The Wildcats quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals 2:21 apart by Lynne Lehman and Lindsey Nerbonne at 7:08 and 9:39, respectively. New Hampshire took that two-goal advantage and 9-1 edge in shots into halftime. Lehman and Nerbonne both struck again in the second half with goals sandwiched around a tally by Jackie Hozza. UVM scored on an untimed corner at the end of regulation to avoid the shutout. UNH finished with a 22-5 shot advantage and 9-3 edge in penalty corners. Melissa Rize played the final 12:07 of the game and was not credited with a save.
New Hampshire has a 9-20-3 lifetime record, including 8-7-0 at home, against Boston College. BC has won five straight and 12 of the last 13 games in the series against the Wildcats, whose only win in that span (2002-14) was October 18, 2009 at home by a score of 3-2. Since the 2000 season, the 'Cats are 2-5 at home vs. the Eagles.
In the most recent matchup, BC won 4-1 on its home field, the Newton Field Hockey Complex (Newton, Mass.). UNH struck first on a goal by Meg Flatley at 20:08, but the Eagles leveled the score in the 28^th minute and pulled away with three goals in the last 15 minutes of regulation – the 56^th, 65^th and 70^th minutes. Eryn McCoy scored three goals and Leah Settipane made 12 saves. The Wildcats recorded a 15-13 shot advantage but BC generated an 8-4 edge in corners.
The Eagles were 3-1 victors in the most recent game at Memorial Field on Oct. 4, 2013.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: UNH enters the weekend with a 4-6 overall record that includes 3-0 at home and 1-1 in America East (1-0 in conference home games), as well a 1-4 against nationally-ranked teams… The Wildcats are coming off last Sunday's 4-1 loss at sixth-ranked Albany... UNH recorded its lowest season totals in both shots on goal (three) and penalty corners (one) in that game vs. the Great Danes… UNH has been outscored (17-7) and outshot (76-50) in the first half; the Wildcats have a 73-55 shot advantage in the second half, but the opponents have the 13-11 edge in goals… New Hampshire has a 4-0 record when recording the shot advantage, as well as 2-1 when tallying the edge in penalty corners... Nine 'Cats have started all 10 games and one other has started 9 of 10.

'CAT NIPS: Senior forward Meg Carroll scored her third goal of the season with a second-half tally at sixth-ranked Albany last Sunday; she recorded three of UNH's seven shots. Carroll is tied for third on the team in both goals and points (seven), and is third in shots (16). She has recorded all seven of her points against nationally-ranked teams.
Freshman forward Courtney Sweeny recorded her first career point with an assist on Carroll's goal at Albany. Sweeny has played in 7 of 10 games, all off the bench; she has appeared in five consecutive games.
Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Rize has started all 10 games and played all 704:20. She has a 2.98 GAA and .634 save percentage with one shutout.
Lindsey Nerbonne leads the team in goals (five), is tied for the lead in points (10) with Meg Flatley, and has a team-high 33 shots. Nerbonne is the only player to score multiple goals in a game with her three tallies vs. UMass.
Jackie Hozza has a team-best three assists; Flatley is the only other Wildcat with multiple assists. No 'Cat has tallied multiple assists in a game this season.

NOT IN OUR HOUSE: New Hampshire is unbeaten in three home games this season. The Wildcats have outscored the opposition 5-2 with a 42-21 shot advantage and 16-14 edge in penalty corners at Memorial Field. UNH has not surrendered a first-half goal in three home games. Lindsey Nerbonne is the top goal scorer (two) and point producer (four) while Melissa Rize is 3-0 with a 0.67 GAA and .818 save percentage.

CONFERENCE CALL: In two America East conference games, Melissa Rize has a 1-1 record with a 2.50 GAA and .643 save percentage; those numbers are similar to her overall stats of 2.98 GAA and .634 save percentage. Meg Carroll, Meg Flatley and Lindsey Nerbonne have one goal apiece in conference play; Flatley scored the game-winning goal vs. UMass Lowell (Sept. 26).

THE SLIMMEST OF MARGINS: Six of UNH's 10 games have been decided by one goal, including consecutive 2-1 victories against Providence College and UMass Lowell, as well as a 4-3 overtime win against then-No. 18 UMass. Including those games, the Wildcats have a 4-2 mark in one-goal games.

FIRST BLOOD: The opponent has scored the game's first goal in 7 of 10 games this season, and six times the opposition has extended that lead to 2-0. The 'Cats took a 2-0 lead against both Providence and UMass Lowell.

CENTURY CLUB: Senior forward Meg Flatley became the fifth UNH player to reach the 100-point milestone with her second-half goal in the Aug. 28 season opener at 20^th-ranked Boston University. She entered that game with 98 career points and attained the milestone with her 43^rd goal, which complemented her 14 assists for a total of 100 points.
Flatley, who also a total of four goals and two assists this season for 10 points, is currently No. 5 on the program's all-time points list with 108 (46-16-108); Gaby Haroules (1977-80) is No. 4 at 119.
Flatley scored her 46^th career goal Sept. 26 against UMass Lowell. That tally gave Flatley sole possession of No. 5 on UNH's career leaderboard; she was previously tied with Katie White, who was on the UML sideline as an associate head coach; Hayley Rausch (2008-11) is No. 4 with 51.

COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST: New Hampshire has already played five games against nationally-ranked teams and the Wildcats have two games remaining against currently ranked teams. On opening weekend, the Wildcats played then-No. 20 BU and No. 18 UMass; the 'Cats have also traveled to No. 1 UConn, No. 10 Maryland and No. 6 Albany. UNH has remaining games against No. 10 Boston College and No. 6 Albany – both at home.

MADE OF GRANITE: Three student-athletes on the 2015 roster hail from New Hampshire. They are sophomore midfielder Brittany Marshall (Hopkinton), junior midfielder Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow) and freshman Courtney Sweeny (Windham).

SCOUTING VERMONT: The University of Vermont enters Friday's matchup with the Wildcats at 3-9 overall and 1-1 against America East opponents. UVM has struggled on the road so far this season, as the team sits at 0-4 in games away from Burlington. The Catamounts snapped its three-game losing streak Oct. 4 with a 3-2 win at home against the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Vermont received goals from three different players – junior Anne-Marie Farmer and freshmen Landon Warren and Carla Godsman. UVM goalkeeper Lena Brenwood held down the fort in goal with five saves on seven UMass Lowell shots on goal.
Brenwood, who has started 11 of 12 UVM games this season, has a 3.13 goals against average and .711 save. The sophomore is 3-8 overall and has posted two shutouts in 2015.
Freshman Lauren Tucker has delivered right from the get-go in her first season with the Catamounts. Tucker leads the team in assists (five), points (15), shots (34) and shots on goal (15). Senior Molly Higgins has a team high of six goals and is second on the squad in points with 14. Farmer ranks third on the team in goals (four) and points (10).
UVM has been outscored 39-20 with a breakdown of 17-9 in the first half and 22-11 in the second. The opposition has doubled up in shots with a 220-105 edge that includes a 115-51 disparity in the second half. Opponents also have a sizable advantage of 87-54 in penalty corners that included 48-23 in the second half.
UVM has not won consecutive games since Sept. 24 & 28, 2011, when the Catamounts defeated Siena College (4-1) and Dartmouth College (4-3).

FAMILIAR FACES: Kyle Lyons and Melyssa Woods, UNH alums who had decorated Wildcat careers on the field hockey team, are both in their second year on the UVM staff as an assistant coach. Lyons (2008-11) was an NFHCA All-America Second Team and ECAC All-Star First Team selection in 2011; she was also a two-time All-Region and America East All-Conference First Team honoree; in 78 career games, Lyons tallied 22 goals and 14 assists for 58 points. Woods (2009-13) was named to the All-Conference Second Team (2013) and All-Rookie Team (2009).

SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE: Boston College (6-5 overall, 0-3 ACC), ranked No. 10 in this week's national poll, enters the weekend with a 2-3 record in road games this season; BC plays host to Duke University on Oct. 9 before playing UNH on Oct. 11. Most recently, the Eagles traveled to seventh-ranked Wake Forest and returned home with a 3-2 loss on Oct. 4. BC has alternated wins and losses the past five games.
The Wildcats need to be aware of where junior Emily McCoy is at all times. McCoy leads the Eagles in goals (seven), assists (three) and points (17).
Senior Kelcie Hromisin has been another productive piece in BC's offense as she ranks second on the team in both goals (four) and points (eight) behind McCoy.
The Eagles have also received a boost from freshman Lucy Lytle. The emerging first-year player has posted three goals, which is tied for third on the team, and an assist for seven points. Senior AshLeigh Sebia has also recorded seven points on three goals and an assist.
Senior goalkeeper Leah Settipane has started all 11 games this season. Settipane has a 1.89 goals against average and .767 save percentage. She has started every game for the Eagles since arriving to BC in 2012.
BC has outscored the opposition 27-22, including 13-10 in the second half and 3-0 in overtime. The stats reflect that with a 96-78 shot advantage in the second half with a 40-31 edge in penalty corners; in comparison, the opposition has the edge in the first half in both shots (71-61) and corners (31-17).

ANOTHER FAMILIAR FACE: Megan Bozek, a two-time All-America selection (First Team- 2013, Third Team 2012) while at UNH (2010-13), is a second-year assistant coach at Boston College. Her other accolades as a Wildcat included two-time America East Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Region Team honoree.

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