Weekend Split: Home vs. UMass Lowell (Oct. 19) & at UVM (Oct. 21)

Friday, Oct. 19 ~ 3 pm ~ Memorial Field ~ Durham, N.H.
UMass Lowell (7-7, 1-5 AE) at UNH (3-10, 1-4 AE) ~ Video ~ Stats

Sunday, Oct. 21 ~ 1 pm ~ Moulton Winder Field ~ Burlington, Vt.
UNH (3-10, 1-4 AE) at Vermont (6-8, 3-2 AE) ~ Video

DEVELOPING THE PLAYOFF PICTURE

Four of five teams in the East Division advance to the America East Championships held Nov. 1-4 at Stanford University.
Three teams – Albany, Maine and Vermont – have already clinched a tourney berth, which leaves UNH and UMass Lowell battling for the final spot.
The winner of Friday's matchup at Memorial Field will move one step closer to advancing to postseason play.
A UMass Lowell win would also give the River Hawks the head-to-head tiebreaker against UNH.

UNH vs. UMASS LOWELL

UNH has a 7-2 lifetime record against UMass Lowell, including a 3-1 loss at Cushing Field on Sept. 30. • Recap • Box
- Anouk Lalande struck at 1:22 to quickly give the River Hawks a 1-0 lead and again at 48:16 to push the score to 3-1.
- Finn Caron scored at 17:09 to tie the score at 1, but Katie Lynes scored off a corner with 17 seconds remaining in the first half to put UML back in front.
Prior to this year, six consecutive matchups had been decided by one goal – four by a 2-1 score; two of the six were decided in overtime.
The last time these teams faced off at Memorial Field (Oct. 22, 2017), UNH led 3-0 at halftime and extended the advantage to 4-0 before UML stormed back with goals in the 43^rd, 52^nd and 62^nd minutes. The 'Cats held on for the 4-3 win. • Recap • Box
These teams first met in 2013, when UMass Lowell elevated to Division I and joined the America East conference.

UNH vs. VERMONT

UNH has a 33-7 lifetime record against Vermont, including a 3-1 loss at Memorial Field on Oct. 5. • Recap • Box
- Landon Warren scored late in the first half and early in the second to give UVM a 2-0 lead. Kayla Sliz trimmed the deficit to one goal in the 58^th minute but Rachel Phillips scored less than three minutes later to reestablish a two-goal lead.
- UNH recorded the edge in both shots (16-7; 11-5 on goal) and corners (5-2).
The Catamounts have won each of the last two meetings in the Battle of the 'Cats.
Last year at Moulton Winder Field, UVM prevailed 1-0 in double overtime. • Recap • Box
Prior to that game, UNH had won five consecutive matchups in Burlington.
New Hampshire had won 12 straight spanning the 2008-2017 seasons.
UNH has a 15-5 road record in the series.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE • Home page • Schedule • Roster • Stats

UNH has a 3-10 overall record that includes 3-5 at home and 0-5 on the road. The Wildcats are 1-4 in America East with a split of 1-1 at home and 0-3 on the road.
UNH has lost four straight since defeating 18^th-ranked Maine at Memorial Field on Sept. 28. The 'Cats scored three goals that game vs. the Black Bears and then scored a total of three goals the next three games.
New Hampshire is coming off a 4-0 road loss to #17 Maine last Sunday, Oct. 14.
UNH has a 2-3 record in games decided by one goal.
The Wildcats have a 1-6 record against nationally-ranked teams that includes a 3-2 home win against No. 18 Maine on Sept. 28. The 'Cats have lost to No. 19 Boston University (4-0), No. 15 Harvard (4-1), No. 14 Iowa (2-0), at No. 9 Boston College (6-0), at No. 24 Albany (2-1 in overtime), and at No. 17 Maine (4-0). [Note: all rankings at date of game]
UNH is averaging 1.31 goals per game as well as 10.8 shots and 5.0 penalty corners. Opponents are averaging 2.69 goals, 13.1 shots and 6.1 corners.
The 'Cats have been shut out five times.
Six Wildcats have started all 13 games; three others have started 12 of 13 and goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert has started 11 of 13 (she was a DNP Sept. 21 & 23).

LAST WEEKEND RECAP

Both teams recorded 15 shots and nine saves – and UNH recorded the edge in penalty corners – but 17^th-ranked University of Maine had a 4-0 scoring advantage to record the victory last Sunday (Oct. 14) at UMaine Field Hockey Complex. • Recap • Box
UNH starting goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert recorded five saves and allowed three goals in 35 minutes.
Rachel Simkevich entered the game at the start of the second half and, in her second career appearance, made a career-high four saves with one goal allowed.
The Wildcats pressured early, but Maine took a 1-0 lead on its first shot of the game at 11:26 of the first half.

INSIDE THE STATS

The opposition has recorded the shot advantage 8 of 13 games; the exceptions were UNH's 21-5 shot advantage at Brown (Sept. 14), 24-7 vs. Bryant (Sept 21), 15-14 at UMass Lowell and 16-7 against Vermont, as well as tied 15-15 at Maine. The 'Cats were victors in one of those five games.
UNH had the edge in penalty corners 5 of 13 games – 4-1 vs. UMass in the opener, 10-4 at Brown, 14-4 vs. Bryant, 5-2 against Vermont and 7-5 at Maine.
New Hampshire has scored on 17 of 140 shots (12.1%) with 86 of 140 shots on goal (61.4%); in comparison, the opposition has scored on 35 of 170 shots (20.6%) with 106 of 170 shots on goal (62.4%).
UNH has been outshot 93-69 in the first half and 75-71 in the second half, as well as 2-0 in overtime.

POINT PRODUCERS

Junior forward Bailey Fanikos and freshman forward Finn Caron – both first-year Wildcats – lead the team in goals (four) and points (eight). Fanikos ranks second in shots with 23 while Caron is fourth in that stat with 13.
Fanikos recorded career highs of two goals and four points Sept. 21 vs. Bryant University.
Caron has scored two goals the past four games. She has tallied four goals on 13 shots for a .308 shooting percentage. Also of note, Caron has two of UNH's three game-winning goals.
Senior captains Katie Audino and Rachel Bossi and junior back Nicky Bajus are tied for third in points with five apiece. Bajus has two goals and an assist while both Audino and Bossi have tallied a goal and a team-high three assists.
Bajus has also recorded a team-high 25 shots.
Senior Erin McNamara and sophomore Bloem van den Brekel are tied for third in assists with two. van den Brekel, who ranks third in shots (21), has also scored a goal.

D-D-D-D-FENSE

Nicky Bajus is the anchor of this year's young defensive unit. She has started all 13 games and never comes off the field.
Sophomore Erin Malone, who played in one game a year ago, has stepped into a starting role this season with nine starts in 13 games. She recorded a defensive save vs. Iowa.
Classmate Val Fay has started each of the past four games in lieu of Malone.
Senior captain Katie Audino, who patrolled the midfield and frontline of attack her first three years as a Wildcat, has transitioned more into a defensive role. She has made a smooth transition, as evident by her team-high two defensive saves.

DEFENDING THE CAGE

New Hampshire's defense is anchored by third-year starting goalie Kelsey Rudert. The senior started the first six games this season, was a DNP the weekend of Sept. 21-23, and has started each of the last five games.
In her return to the starting lineup, Rudert made a season-high nine saves to backbone the Wildcats to a 3-2 win against 18^th-ranked Maine on Sept. 28.
Rudert stopped eight shots in the 2-1 overtime loss at No. 24 Albany.
Last weekend at Maine, she exited the game after the first half in which she made five saves but allowed three goals.
Rudert has a 2-9 record and has stopped 52 of 80 shots on goal for a 2.75 GAA and .650 save percentage.
Junior Madelyn McAteer received the starting nod against both Bryant and BC. She stopped three shots vs. Bryant for her first career win and shutout, then made a career-high five saves (5 GA in 40:43) at ninth-ranked Boston College. In three games, she is 1-1 with a .643 save percentage and 2.55 GAA.
Freshman Rachel Simkevich made her collegiate debut Sept. 30 at BC. She played the final 29:17 and stopped two of three shots on goal. Simkevich played the second half Oct. 14 at Maine and recorded four saves with one goal allowed. In two games, she has a 2.18 GAA and .750 save percentage.

SIX GOALS AND A SHUTOUT

New Hampshire's six goals in the 6-0 win vs. Bryant University (Sept. 21 at Memorial Field) marked the highest total since Oct. 30, 2016, when the 'Cats also scored six goals vs. Dartmouth College.
It was UNH's first shutout since Oct. 23, 2015 (4-0 win at Vermont).

BALDUCCI BIO

This is the 28^th season as UNH head coach for Robin Balducci.
She is the program's all-time winningest coach with 273 career victories
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 UMASS LOWELL • Home page

UMass Lowell has a 7-7 record that includes 2-4 on the road and 1-5 in America East. The River Hawks are coming off last Friday's 2-1 double overtime loss at the hands of the University of Vermont.
Since playing UNH, UMass Lowell has lost 3 of 4 matches, which includes a two-game losing streak.
UMass Lowell is averaging 2.57 goals per game, 13.2 shots per game and 6.1 penalty corners per game. The opposition is averaging 1.71 goals per game, 13.1 shots per game and 6.1 penalty corners per game.
Anouk Lalande is leading the River Hawks with 12 goals. Lalande also leads in both points (25) and shots on goal (21).
Torrie Huk (10g, 4a) is second in points with 24 and has a team-high 36 shots.

Eva Berkhout has started all 14 games (986 of 1006:02 minutes). She has posted 1.70 GAA and .730 save percentage with a 7-7 record and two shutouts.

SCOUTING VERMONT • Home page

The University of Vermont (Burlington, Vt.) will be facing Colgate at home Oct. 19, then the Catamounts turn around and play UNH on Oct. 21 at home.
Vermont has a 6-8 record and that includes a 3-4 record at home. The Catamounts enter their game against Colgate riding a one-game winning streak by defeating UMass Lowell, 2-1 in double overtime, on Oct. 14.
With its win against UML, Vermont snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Catamounts are 3-2 in America East play, most recent the aforementioned double OT win vs. UMass Lowell.
UVM is averaging 1.50 goals per game, 10.4 shots per game and 5.4 penalty corners per game. The opposition is averaging 2.21 goals per game, 12.4 shots per game and 5.3 penalty corners per game.
Landon Warren leads the Catamounts with seven goals. She is also the top point scorer (14) and leads the team in both shots (32) and shots on goal (18).
Rachel Phillips (4g, 1a) is second in points with nine.
Sierra Espeland has started in all 14 games (1001:55 of 1001:55 minutes). She has posted a 2.17 GAA and .687 save percentage with a 6-8 record and one shutout.

UP NEXT

UNH returns to action Oct. 19 at home against UMass Lowell. Start time at Memorial Field is 3 p.m.

AMERICA EAST AWARDS

Finn Caron – Rookie of the Week (Sept. 25)