'Cats Face Off at No. 9 Boston College on Sunday (1 pm)

Sunday, Sept. 23 ~ 1 pm ~ Field Hockey Complex ~ Newton, Mass.
UNH (2-5) at No. 9 Boston College (5-3)

UNH vs. BOSTON COLLEGE

New Hampshire has a 9-23-3 record against Boston College; the Eagles have won eight straight in the series.
Last year at Memorial Field, BC won 4-0.
In the last matchup at Field Hockey Complex, Boston College prevailed 2-1.
UNH's most recent win against the Eagles was in 2009 (3-2 at home).
The Wildcats' most recent road win at BC was in 1989 (3-1); since then, the Eagles are 12-0-1 at home and have won 11 straight on their home field.

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

UNH has a 2-5 overall record that includes 0-1 on the road.
The Wildcats have lost all three matchups against nationally-ranked teams – 4-0 to No. 19 Boston University, 4-1 to No. 15 Harvard, and 2-0 to No. 14 Iowa (all rankings at date of game).
UNH entered the weekend averaging 0.83 goals per game as well as 9.2 shots and 4.2 penalty corners. Opponents averaged 2.50 goals, 11.2 shots and 5.2 corners.
The Wildcats ended a scoreless streak of approximately 170 minutes in Friday's 6-0 win vs. Bryant. The 'Cats recorded season highs in goals and shots (24) in that game.
Nine Wildcats have started all seven games; two others have started 6 of 7.

LAST TIME OUT

New Hampshire recorded sizable advantages in both shots (21-5) and penalty corners (10-4) but lost 1-0 to Brown University at Goldberger Family Field last Friday (Sept. 14).
Gina Openshaw scored the only goal off a corner at 5:57.
In the second half, UNH had a 13-3 edge in shots and 8-3 in corners.
Nicky Bajus recorded eight shots, four of which were on goal. No other Wildcat has a total of eight shots this season.

INSIDE THE STATS

The opposition has recorded the shot advantage 5 of 6 games; the only exception was UNH's 21-5 shot advantage last Friday at Brown.
UNH had the edge in penalty corners the first game of the year (4-1 vs. UMass) and the most recent game against Brown (10-3); the opposition had the advantage the other four games.
New Hampshire has scored on 5 of 55 shots (9.1%) with 30 of 55 shots on goal (54.5%); in comparison, the opposition has scored on 15 of 67 shots (22.4%) with 43 of 67 shots on goal (64.2%).
UNH has been outshot 34-22 in the first half; the shots are even, 33-33, in the second half.

POINT PRODUCERS

Junior back Nicky Bajus, who is also a key component on offensive penalty corners, has a team-high three points with one goal and one assist. She assisted on the game-tying goal vs. UMass and scored UNH's only goal vs. Harvard.
Five Wildcats have scored one goal apiece; in addition to Bajus, the goal scorers are Finn Caron, Bailey Fanikos, Tia Raspante and Isabelle Danahy.
UNH's six assists have been recorded by six different 'Cats.

D-D-D-D-FENSE

Bajus, who started 20 of 21 games last season, is the anchor of this year's young defensive unit. She has started all five games in 2018 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. She recorded a defensive save vs. Iowa.
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 two defensive saves.
Senior Erin McNamara can be found playing back, midfield or forward.

DEFENDING THE CAGE

New Hampshire's defense is anchored third-year starting in goalie Kelsey Rudert. The senior has started all six games this season and played 393 of a possible 420 minutes. Rudert has stopped 24 of 39 shots on goal for a 2.67 GAA and .615 save percentage.
Junior Madelyn McAteer played the final 26:33 vs. Harvard and stopped the only shot on goal.

THE NEWCOMERS

Bailey Fanikos started the first two games of the season and scored a goal – UNH's first of the 2018 season – in her Wildcat debut vs. UMass. She has started all five games in which she has played; Fanikos was sidelined one game (vs. Harvard).
Finn Caron and Tia Raspante have made an immediate impact on the frontline; Caron has started all six games, while Raspante has played four games (all off the bench). Raspante scored the game-tying goal and Caron followed five minutes later with the game-winner vs. UMass.
Tori Palumbo has played six games, all off the bench, as part of the midfield rotation.

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 271 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 BRYANT • Home page

Bryant University (Smithfield, R.I.) has a 2-6 overall record that includes 2-4 on the road. The Bulldogs have won two of the last three games, including last Sunday's 2-0 victory at Colgate University.
Bryant is 0-2 against teams from the America East conference with a 3-0 los at UMass Lowell and 20- loss at Albany.
The Bulldogs average 1.00 goals, 6.3 shots and 3.1 penalty corners per game. The opposition is averaging 2.13 goals and 16.3 shots.
Emily Perryman (2g, 1a), Ally Burdick (2g) and Leyna DiMarco (2g) are the top point scorers. DiMarco and Perryman rank 1-2 in shots with 13 and 9 respectively.
Freshman Marijn Jaarsma has played in all eight games with five starts (490 minutes); she has stopped 51 of 64 shots on goal for a 1.86 GAA and .797 save percentage, and has a 2-4 record.

SCOUTING BOSTON COLLEGE • Home page

No. 9 Boston College enters the weekend with a 4-3 overall record that includes 2-0 at home. Each of the last six games have been decided by one goal.
The Eagles are in the midst of stretch in which they play three games in six days. BC defeated Northeastern University, 2-1, on the road Tuesday and plays host to Virginia on Friday night before playing UNH on Sunday.
BC is averaging 2.57 goals, 14.9 shots and 5.4 corners per game. The opponents average 1.57 goals, 10.1 shots and 4.4 corners.
Fusine Govaert (4g, 1a), Brooke Matherson (3g, 2a) and Frederique Haverhals (3g, 1a) are the top point producers. Govaert has two game-winning goals and a defensive save.
Sarah Dwyer has started all six games in which she has played; she is 4-2 with a 1.29 GAA and .714 save percentage.

UP NEXT

Next weekend, the Wildcats return to America East action Sept. 28 at home vs. Maine and Sept. 30 at UMass Lowell.

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Players Mentioned

Katie Audino

Nicky Bajus

Finn Caron

Isabelle Danahy

Bailey Fanikos

Erin Malone

Madelyn McAteer

Erin McNamara

Tori Palumbo

Tia Raspante

Kelsey Rudert