Senior Day vs. UAlbany (Oct. 27); Regular-Season Finale at Maine (Oct. 29)

Friday, Oct. 27 • 3 pm • Memorial Field • Durham, N.H.
No. 22 UAlbany (10-6, 5-2 AE) at New Hampshire (6-10, 3-3 AE)
Video • Stats

Sunday, Oct. 29 • 1 pm • Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex • Orono, Maine
New Hampshire (6-10, 3-3 AE) at No. 25 Maine (11-4, 5-1 AE)
Video • Stats

SALUTING THE SENIORS

The UNH field hockey program will honor its six-member senior class prior to Friday's game, which is the last home game at Memorial Field for Gianna Bensaia, Brittany Marshall, Ashley Mendonca, Taylor Scafidi, Jessica Schmidt and Aggie Sutherland.

UNH vs. UALBANY

New Hampshire has an 11-15 lifetime record against UAlbany and that includes a 4-0 loss at Alumni Field earlier this year.
Sept. 16: at No. 21 Albany 4, UNH 0 • Recap • Box
The Great Danes also prevailed 4-0 in the most recent matchup at Memorial Field, which was last September.
UAlbany has won six of the last seven meetings.
UNH upended the Great Danes, 2-1, in Albany last October. Recap • Box
In that win, Ashley Mendonca scored in the 38^th minute to tie the score at 1, then struck again with 1 minute, 48 seconds remaining to lift the Wildcats to victory.

UNH vs. MAINE

New Hampshire has a 27-16 lifetime record against Maine, including 11-6 on the road, but the Black Bears have won each of the last five overall meetings.
Prior to this current run, UNH won seven consecutive matchups, including two in the postseason, spanning the 2010-14 seasons.
Earlier this month (Oct. 13) at Memorial Field, the Wildcats clawed back from a 4-1 deficit on goals by Bloem van den Brekel (at 61:59) and Taylor Scafidi (67:43). Maine did not yield another shot, however, to hold on for the 4-3 victory. • Recap • Box
Six of the last nine meetings have been decided by one goal.
In the most recent matchup in Orono, the Black Bears prevailed 5-1 on Oct. 28, 2016. • Recap • Box
UNH's most recent road win against Maine was Oct. 31, 2014 (3-2 in OT).

BENSAIA NAMED A NFHCA SENIOR ALL-STAR

Senior midfielder and captain Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) was named to the 2017 Victory Sports Tours/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Senior Game roster.
She was one of 38 student-athletes selected to participate for the game that will be held Nov. 17 (7 p.m.) at the University of Louisville in conjunction with the NCAA field hockey championships.

LOOKING BACK

UNH built a 4-0 lead and held off UMass Lowell's late rally to record a 4-3 victory at Memorial Field on Oct. 22. • Recap • Box
Both the four goals and 26 shots marked the Wildcats' second-highest totals of the season.

'CAT NIPS

Gianna Bensaia recorded five points (2g, 1a) in two games last week. She finished with a goal and an assist last Sunday vs. UMass Lowell for a season-high three points. Bensaia has tallied a point six of the last nine games.
Junior forward Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) scored her team-leading eighth goal last Sunday.
Freshman forward Bloem van den Brekel (Eindhoven, Netherlands) tallied four points (1g, 2a) in two games last week. She has a point in 5 of 6 games and 7 of 9.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire has a 6-10 overall record that includes 3-3 in America East with a breakdown of 3-4 at home and 2-6 on the road; the Wildcats are 2-1 in conference home games and 1-2 in conference road games.
Each of the last four games have been decided by one goal – 4-3 vs. Maine (Oct. 13), 1-0 at Vermont, double OT (Oct. 15), 4-3 at Dartmouth (Oct. 18) and 4-3 vs. UMass Lowell (Oct. 22).
The Wildcats close the regular season with two conference games: Oct. 27 vs. Albany, Oct. 29 at Maine.
UNH is averaging 1.94 goals per game on 15.6 shots and 5.3 penalty corners per game. The opposition averages 3.00 goals, 12.6 shots and 4.3 corners per game.

DEVELOPING THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

Entering the last weekend of the regular season, the UNH Wildcats are third in the America East Field Hockey East Division standings at 3-3.
Maine (5-1) and UAlbany (5-2) are ahead of the 'Cats.
UMass Lowell (2-5) and Vermont (1-5) sit below New Hampshire.
UML and UVM face off in the regular-season finale, so it is impossible for both teams to get to three wins; therefore, UNH has secured a berth in the America East tourney that will be held Nov. 2-5 at UMass Lowell.

AT A GLANCE

UNH is 5-2 when scoring at least three goals and is 1-8 when scoring less than three goals.
UNH has played eight games against nationally-ranked teams (1-7 record).
The 'Cats have a 4-5 record in games decided by one goal, and that includes 3-2 in overtime (0-2 in double OT).
Junior midfielder Rachel Bossi scored UNH's overtime goals against both Northeastern and Iowa; Gianna Bensaia potted the OT game-winner at UMass Lowell.
The Wildcats have a 113-89 first-half shot advantage but have been outscored 19-12 in the opening 35 minutes of games.
Overall, New Hampshire has been outscored 48-31 despite recording a 249-202 shot advantage. The Wildcats have also recorded an 84-69 edge in penalty corners.
UNH has recorded the shot advantage in 9 of 16 games and the 'Cats have had the edge in corners eight times.
The opponents have taken a 1-0 lead eight of the past 11 games; New Hampshire did strike first both of last week's games (at Dartmouth; vs. UMass Lowell).

STAT LEADERS

Katie Audino leads the Wildcats in goals (eight) and points (19).
Bloem van den Brekel is atop the team leaderboard in assists (seven) and shots (41); she ranks second in both goals (five) and points (17).
Senior forward Taylor Scafidi (Waltham, Mass.) is third in goals (four) while Gianna Bensaia ranks third in points (11).
Senior midfielder and captain Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) is No. 16 in the nation in defensive saves with three. Sophomore back Nicky Bajus (Lions Bay, British Columbia) has UNH's other defensive save.
Junior goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert (North Grafton, Mass.) started the first six games of the season and 15 of 16 overall. Rudert has a 6-9 record with a 2.91 GAA and .613 save percentage.
Sophomore goalie Madelyn McAteer (Annapolis, Md.) is 0-1 with a 2.52 GAA and .682 save percentage in five games (one start).

BALDUCCI BIO

This is the 27^th season as UNH head coach for Robin Balducci.
She is the program's all-time winningest coach with 267 career victories, including six wins in 2017.
Balducci was inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame on Jan. 5, 2017.
She was inducted into UNH's Hall of Fame in 1998 and was also part of the 1985 NCAA national championship women's lacrosse team that was enshrined in 1994.
Balducci is a six-time America East Coach of the Year (1998, 2000-10-11-12-13).

SCOUTING UALBANY

UAlbany (Albany, N.Y.) enters Friday's game with a 10-6 overall record that includes 5-2 in America East and 5-0 on the road.
The Great Danes are 2-4 in overtime and that includes 0-2 in double OT.
UAlbany is coming off Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Maine; the Great Danes entered that game with a six-game winning streak.
UAlbany averages 2.6 goals and 13.0 shots per game while allowing 1.60 goals and 10.5 shots per game.
Ghislaine Beerkens leads the Great Danes with eight goals.
Katie MacCallum leads UAlbany with 18 points and is second in goals (seven).
Melissa Nealon has a 10-6 record with a 1.43 GAA and a .771save percentage in 16 games; she is No. 11 in the nation in save percentage.

SCOUTING MAINE

The University of Maine (Orono, Maine) enters the weekend with an 11-4 overall record that includes 5-1 in America East and 5-1 at home; the Black Bears are 2-1 in conference home games.
Maine takes a four-game winning streak into Friday's game at the University of Vermont.
The Black Bears average 3.20 goals on 17.7 shots per game while allowing 1.53 goals and 7.9 shots per game.
The offense is led by the trio of Brianna Ricker (10g, 4a, 24p), Libby Riedl (7g, 10a, 24) and Samantha Wagg (8g, 7a, 23p).
Emma Cochran has started all 15 games in goal and has a 1.51 GAA, .676 save percentage and two shutouts.

2017 SEASON ACCOLADES

Freshman forward Bloem van den Brekel was honored as America East Rookie of the Week on Aug. 29 (the first week of the season).

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