GAME NOTES: Field Hockey On the Road vs. No. 19 Maine (Oct. 16) and Harvard (Oct. 18)

Game 13: Friday, Oct. 16 (3 p.m.) – UNH (5-7, 2-1 AE) at No. 19 Maine (13-2, 3-0) – Maine FH Complex – Orono, Maine – Stats – Video

Game 14: Sunday, Oct. 18 (2 p.m.) – UNH (5-7, 2-1 AE) at Harvard (7-3, 2-1 Ivy League) – Harvard Field Hockey Stadium – Cambridge, Mass. – Stats – Video

THE GAMES: The UNH field hockey teams plays two road games this weekend. First, the Wildcats travel north to battle interstate rival Maine, ranked No. 19 in the nation, on Oct. 16 (3 p.m.). The Wildcats then travel south for their last non-conference game of the regular season for a game against Harvard on Oct. 18 (2 p.m.).

THE MATCHUPS: UNH has 28-11 record against Maine since the first game in 1982 (2-1 UNH win) and the Wildcats have won each of the last seven meetings, including last year's 3-2 overtime road win in the regular season and a 5-2 neutral-site victory in the America East semifinals. Five of the seven games have been decided by one goal and that includes a pair of overtime games.
New Hampshire has won four consecutive games in Orono and has a 11-4 road record in the series; the last time the Black Bears successfully defended home field was Oct. 13, 2006 (1-0).
Maine's most recent win against UNH was Oct. 3, 2009 (6-3 in Durham, N.H.).
In the most recent matchup – the Nov. 6, 2014 conference semifinal at UAlbany, the Black Bears took an early 2-1 lead but New Hampshire tied the score just two minutes later and the 'Cats scored the only three goals of the second half to pull away for the win. Meg Flatley and Lindsey Nerbonne paced the attack with six points apiece; Flatley scored three goals while Nerbonne tallied two goals and two assists.
In last year's regular-season game, Maine led 2-1 at halftime but the Wildcats tied the score in the second half – they controlled play with an 11-2 shot advantage and 5-0 edge in penalty corners. Emma Compagna scored at 11:36 of OT to lift New Hampshire to a 3-2 victory.
UNH has a 21-12-2 overall record against Harvard since the programs firs tmet in September 1978. The Wildcats have won each of the last six matchups but four of the six have been decided by one goal, including three in overtime. Last year at Harvard, the 'Cats were 1-0 victors in OT.
New Hampshire has won three consecutive road games in the series vs. Harvard dating back to the Crimson's most recent win overall, Sept. 5, 2007 (3-2). Overall, the 'Cats have an 11-7 road record against Harvard.
Last year at Harvard's Jordan Field, the teams played to a scoreless tie through regulation despite UNH's lopsided advantage in shots (16-2) and penalty corners (6-2). The Wildcats didn't need much time to score in the extra session, as Nerbonne struck 4:21 into OT to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: UNH enters the weekend with a 5-7 overall record that includes 2-1 in America East and 0-6 on the road, as well as 1-5 against nationally-ranked teams (0-4 on the road vs. nationally-ranked teams).
New Hampshire is averaging 2.00 goals per game on 14.3 shots per game with a .140 shooting percentage. In comparison, the opposition is a 2.92 goals and 12.1 shots per game for a .241 shooting percentage.
The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses the past four games and they are coming off a 4-2 home loss to 10^th-ranked Boston College last Sunday. One game earlier (Oct. 9), the 'Cats recorded a 3-1 America East conference victory against Vermont.
New Hampshire has been outscored 20-8 in the first half and the opposition has accrued an 82-65 shot advantage in the first half. The goals are level, 15-15, in the second half; the 'Cats have the edge in both shots (102-63) and corners (41-29).
UNH recorded a season-high 30 shots in the Battle of the 'Cats vs. Vermont and that included 21 in the second half. It marked the highest shot total for the Wildcats since October 2013 (38 vs. UVM).
The Wildcats limited Vermont to two shots – none in the second half – to mark the lowest total by an opponent since last October, when Harvard University also tallied two shots.
UNH lost to BC despite recording the edge in both shots (14-12) and penalty corners (6-5). The Eagles scored three of their four goals on corners.
Nine Wildcats have started all 12 games and another has been in the starting lineup 11 of 12 games.

'CAT NIPS: Junior midfielder Lindsey Nerbonne scored late goals 84 seconds apart to lift UNH to victory vs. UVM. She broke the 1-1 tie at 66:00 and struck again at 67:24.
Sophomore back Jessica Schmidt recorded her first career point with an assist against the Catamounts.
Both senior forward Emma Compagna and sophomore forward Taylor Scafidi scored their first goal of the season against BC.
Nerbonne leads the squad in goals (seven), points (14) and shots (40); in fact, she has more shots on goal (21) than almost all other 'Cats have shots – the only exception is Meg Flatley with 26 shots.
Flatley is second in both goals (five) and points (12).
Junior back Jackie Hozza has a team-high three assists.
Nerbonne is the only 'Cat with a multiple-goal game this season. She scored a personal-best three goals vs. UMass (Aug. 29) and potted two goals vs. Vermont (Oct. 9).
No Wildcat has tallied multiple assists in a game this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Rize has played all 844:20 this season. She has a 2.90 GAA and .620 save percentage.

CONFERENCE CALL: In three America East conference games, Melissa Rize has a 2-1 record with a 2.00 GAA and .600 save percentage. Lindsey Nerbonne (3g) and Meg Flatley (2g) are the top goal scorers and point producers in league games.

THE SLIMMEST OF MARGINS: Six of UNH's 12 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 8 of 12 games this season, and seven times the opposition has extended that lead to 2-0 (including the most recent game against Boston College). 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 has a total of five goals and two assists this season for 12 points, is currently No. 5 on the program's all-time points list with 112 (47-16-112); 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 six games against nationally-ranked teams and the Wildcats have three 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, and played host to No. 10 Boston College. No. 19 Maine (road and home) and No. 6 Albany (home) loom ahead.

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 MAINE: The No. 19 Maine field hockey team heads into Friday's matchup against the Wildcats at a 13-2 mark, including a 3-0 record in conference play. Maine has won its last six games and 10 of its last 11; the only loss in that stretch was a 2-0 decision vs. Cornell (at UVM). Last week, the Black Bears scored four consecutive second-half goals to upend then-No. 6 Albany, 6-2.
In the national stats, Maine is No. 6 in goals per game (3.87) and No. 7 in goals against average (1.24).
Junior midfield/back Syndey Veljacic leads the team with nine goals in 15 games played this season. She is also ranked first in shots (42) and is tied for first in points (20).
Freshman midfielder Libby Riedl is tied for first on the team in both points (20) and assists (10). She is also ranked second in shots on goal, with 17. Riedl and Jessica Skillings are tied for 16^th in the nation in assists per game (0.67).
Junior Danielle Aviani is one of seven other Black Bears in double digit points with 19 (7g, 5a), which trails only Riedl and Veljacic.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Cochran has started 9 of the Black Bears' 15 games this year, earning a 7-1 record. She has saved 67.6% of the shots that she has faced, allowing 1.44 goals per game.
Maine has utilized a platoon system in goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Corbett has started 8 of 15 games this year; she is 7-1 with a 1.04 GAA, which ranks No. 5 in the nation, and .810 save percentage. Classmate Emma Cochran is 6-1 with a 1.44 GAA and .676 save percentage in 15 games (nine starts).

SCOUTING HARVARD: Harvard heads into the weekend with a 7-3 mark, including a 4-1 record at home and 2-1 mark in the Ivy League; the Crimson play at Cornell on Oct. 17 prior to playing host to UNH on the 18^th. Harvard has won each of its last two games and 6 of 7. Last weekend, the Crimson upended Brown, 4-2, at home. The only loss since Sept. 18 was Oct. 3 vs. Penn (2-1).
Harvard has a 1-1 record against America East schools; the Crimson fell 7-1 at Maine (Sept. 13) and defeated UMass Lowell, 5-3, on the road.
Junior forward Marissa Balleza is the Crimson's leading point- and goal-scorer, with 22 and nine, respectively. She is also tied for first in assists (four) and shots on goal (27).
Senior back Elizabeth Jacobson ranks second with 20 points, and she is tied for first in both assists (four) and shots on goal (27). She also is second on the team with eight goals.
Sophomore goalkeeper Issy Davies has started all 10 games and has a 7-3 record with one shutout. She has allowed an average of 1.75 goals per game and saved 69.1% of the shots on goal that she has faced.

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