GAME NOTES: Field Hockey Plays Host to Providence (Sept. 25) & UMass Lowell (Sept. 26)

Game 8: Friday, Sept. 25 (3 p.m.) – UNH (2-5, 0-0 AE) vs. Providence College (1-7, 0-0 Big East) – Memorial Field – Durham, N.H. – Live Stats – Video

Game 9: Saturday, Sept. 26 (2 p.m.) – UNH (2-5, 0-0 AE) vs. UMass Lowell (5-2, 0-0 AE) – Memorial Field – Durham, N.H. – Live Stats – Video

THE GAMES: The UNH field hockey team plays home games back-to-back days this week with Providence College coming to town Sept. 25 (3 p.m.) and UMass Lowell in Durham for the America East conference opener Sept. 26 (2 p.m.).

THE MATCHUPS: UNH has a 20-13 lifetime record, including 10-6 at home, against Providence College, but the Friars have won each of the last two meetings – 3-1 last year at home and 2-1 at UNH's Memorial Field in 2013. The Wildcats have never lost three consecutive games to the Friars.
New Hampshire won three consecutive matchups spanning the 2010 (4-1), 2011 (6-1) and 2012 (2-1 overtime) seasons.
In last year's game at Providence, the Wildcats struck first on a goal by Meg Flatley at 3:37. The Friars tied the game before halftime, took a 2-1 lead in the 60^th minute and secured the win on a penalty-stroke goal with 20 seconds remaining. New Hampshire recorded a 13-8 shot advantage (10-5 on goal) while PC had a 5-4 edge in penalty corners. Friars' goalkeeper Deidra Clymer backboned the defensive effort with nine saves.
UNH has won both previous matchups against UMass Lowell – both by shutout. The Wildcats were 5-0 victors in the inaugural meeting between these programs at Memorial Field in October 2013. Last year, the 'Cats prevailed 6-0 on the road with a 25-10 shot advantage and 6-4 edge in penalty corners. In that matchup, Flatley scored at 7:32 to quickly give New Hampshire a 1-0 lead. Gianna Bensaia, Lynne Lehman and Lindsey Nerbonne also scored in the first half to extend the advantage to 4-0; Taylor Scafidi closed the scoring with 27 seconds left in the game. In her third career game, Melissa Rize played the final 11:15 and stopped the only shot on goal she faced.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: UNH enters the weekend with a 2-5 overall record that includes 1-0 at home – the Wildcats won their only previous game at Memorial Field, 1-0 vs. Northeastern University on Sept. 13.
Last weekend, the 'Cats were upended 3-2 at The College of William & Mary (Sept. 18) and 5-2 at 10^th-ranked University of Maryland. New Hampshire fell behind the Terrapins 4-0 before Meg Flatley and Meg Carroll scored consecutive goals to trim the deficit to two goals with 27 minutes to play. The Wildcats were held without a shot the rest of the way, however.
UNH has been outscored 14-4 in the first half and the opponents have a 59-35 shot advantage, as well as 22-16 favor in penalty corners, in the opening 35 minutes. In the second half, the Wildcats have a 52-39 edge in shots and 24-18 advantage in corners, but the opposition has outscored them 10-9.
After opening the season with 6 of 7 games away from home, New Hampshire plays four of the next five at home. The Wildcats then close the season with a heavy dose of road games, as 4 of 6 are once again on the road.
Nine 'Cats have started all seven games this season and one other has started 6 of 7.

'CAT NIPS: Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Rize made a career-high 11 saves, including seven in the first half, at 10^th-ranked Maryland last Sunday; she has played all 494:20 in goal this season with a 3.40 GAA and .631 save percentage. Meg Flatley scored a goal both games last weekend to extend her point streak to three games; she has a point in 5 of 7 games this season; Flatley has a team-high eight points; she is tied for the lead in both goals (three) and assists (two). Five other 'Cats have scored multiple goals and that includes Lindsey Nerbonne with three. Jackie Hozza is the only other Wildcat with multiple assists.
Only one 'Cat has a multiple-goal game this season and that was Nerbonne's three-goal effort vs. nationally-ranked UMass. No one has a multiple-assist game.

THE SLIMMEST OF MARGINS: Four of UNH's seven games have been decided by one goal, including a 4-3 overtime win against then-No. 18 UMass. Including that game, the Wildcats have a 2-2 mark in one-goal games.

FIRST BLOOD: The opponent has scored the game's first goal in 6 of 7 games this season, and five times the opposition has extended that lead to 2-0. The only game that UNH took a 1-0 lead was its 1-0 win against Northeastern.

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 three goals and two assists this season for eight points, is currently No. 5 on the program's all-time points list with 106 (45-16-106); Gaby Haroules (1977-80) is No. 4 at 119.
Flatley climbed into a tie for No. 5 with Katie White (2002-05) at 45 career goals when she scored a first-half goal at 10^th-ranked Maryland on Sept. 20; Hayley Rausch (2008-11) is No. 4 with 51.

COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST: New Hampshire has already played four 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 and No. 10 Maryland. UNH has remaining games against No. 5 Albany both home and away, as well as No. 11 Boston College 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 PROVIDENCE: Led by 14^th-year head coach Diane Madl, Providence College heads into Friday's game vs. UNH with a 1-7 overall record that includes 0-4 on the road; PC opened the season with six consecutive losses. In their most recent game (Sept. 20), the Friars fell 2-1 at Columbia University. PC recorded its only win of the season Sept. 17 vs. Brown University by a score of 6-1; in comparison, the Friars scored a total of five goals in the seven losses.
As a team, the Friars average 12.5 shots per game and 1.38 goals per game while allowing 13.1 shots and 2.38 goals per game. Providence has been outscored 13-4 in the first half with a 54-39 disadvantage in shots despite recording a 23-16 edge in penalty corners.
Junior Adrienne Houle leads the way for the Friars in goals (three) and points (seven). Senior Emma Mackie is first on the team in assists with four, and tied for fourth on the team in points (four). Sophomore Abby Thornton and senior Emily Matthews are tied for second in points with five.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Deidra Clymer has played in six games (five starts) with a 2.54 GAA, .629 save percentage and 0-5 record. Sophomore Megan Guilbert has played in four games (three starts, including each of the last two games) with a 2.09 GAA, .800 save percentage and 1-2 record.

SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL: UMass Lowell heads into Saturday's game vs. UNH with a 5-2 overall record that includes 2-2 on the road; all seven games have been decided by one goal. In their most recent game (Sept. 18), UMass Lowell lost 3-2 at Hofstra University. Freshman forward Torrie Huk scored both goals and led the team in shots with three. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Federico played all 70:00 minutes and was credited with six saves. Five days earlier, the River Hawks were 2-1 victors at Brown.
UML began the 2015 season with four consecutive victories – 2-1 vs. Quinnipiac University, 3-2 vs. Providence, 3-2 (OT) at Dartmouth College and 2-1 vs. College of the Holy Cross – before falling 4-3 at UMass.
As a team, UMass Lowell averages 13.3 shots per game and 2.43 goals per game. The River Hawks are led by 14^th-year head coach Shannon Hlebichuk, who guided the team to a pair of Division II national championships (2005, 2010).
Torrie Huk leads the River Hawks in goals (five) and points (11). Sophie Watt leads the team in assists (four). Junior Georgia Cowderoy is second in points with eight.
Sophomore goalkeeper has started all seven of the River Hawks games. She has a goal against average of 2.00, with a save percentage of .736.

FAMILIAR FACE: Katie White, a four-year standout on the UNH field hockey team from 2002-05, is in her fourth year on the UMass Lowell coaching staff and she was promoted to associate head coach in May 2015.
White completed her Wildcat playing career with 45 goals and five assists for 95 points, which at the time ranked third in goals and fourth in points. She led the team in both goals and points as a sophomore and senior. White's collegiate accolades included America East Rookie of the Year (she is the most recent UNH player to receive that award), All-Conference First Team, NFHCA All-Region First Team and Second Team.
After graduating from UNH in 2006 with a Psychology degree, White began her coaching career at Colgate University (2006-07). She went on to the University at Albany (2007-10) and College of the Holy Cross (2011) before landing at UMass Lowell.

NEW-LOOK LEAGUE: In case you haven't noticed, America East welcomed four west coast teams as associate members in field hockey to expand the conference to nine teams in two divisions. Stanford, Cal, UC Davis and Pacific comprise the West division while UNH is in the East division with Albany, Maine, UMass Lowell and Vermont.
There is no crossover play during the regular season as teams will play division rivals twice (home and away). At the America East Championships, the top seed from the East will play the West's fourth seed, East #2 vs. West #3, East #3 vs. West #2 and East #4 vs. West #1.

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