Field Hockey | 10/6/2017 2:54:00 PM

THE DETAILS
#9 Bloomsburg (5-5, 1-2 PSAC) vs Mercyhurst (5-5, 1-2 PSAC)
Saturday, October 7, 2017 - 11:00 a.m.
Steph Pettit Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

#9 Bloomsburg vs Lindenwood (7-2, 5-1 ECAC)
Sunday, October 8, 2017 - 12:00 p.m.
Steph Pettit Stadium - Bloomsburg, Pa.

GAME COVERAGE
Live Stats (both games) - http://www.sidearmstats.com/bloomu/fhockey/
TV Coverage (Saturday only) - Click Here
Kid's Day (Saturday only) - Click Here

RELATED LINKS
Bloomsburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Mercyhurst - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Lindenwood - Schedule | Roster | Statistics

STORYLINE
Bloomsburg will look to get back on track as it hosts Mercyhurst University on Saturday morning in a pivotal conference matchup. The Huskies and the Lakers both enter with identical 5-5 overall records and 1-2 marks in the league standings. Bloomsburg has lost three of its last four games while Mercyhurst has won three of its last four. The Lions have dropped two of their last three games after starting the season with a 6-0 record.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Huskies and the Lakers have met 21 times in the series history with Bloomsburg coming away with victories in all 21 prior contests. The teams last met in Erie on September 16 with Bloomsburg earning a 2-0 victory over Mercyhurst. Senior MacKenna Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) and junior Abby Sauder (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal) had the Huskies' goals - both in the second half - while freshman Dana Sheply (Maple Shade, N.J./Maple Shade) stopped three shots for her first career shutout. Victoria Triaga made six saves for the Lakers in defeat.

Bloomsburg and Lindenwood have only met one prior time in series history with the Huskies winning by the score of 5-0 on September 15, 2013 at a game played at Bellarmine University. Bloomsburg outshot the Lions, 16-6, and got goals from five different players - Brittany Mathews, Felicia Domenici, Candice Smith, Sam Peters, and Nikki Gattone - in the victory.

RHOADS WATCH
Head coach Nikki Rhoads is in her eighth season as the head coach of the Huskies and is just one win away from becoming the second coach in program history to reach 100 career victories. Rhoads has a career record of 99-48 as the Bloomsburg head coach and trails only legendary coach, Jan Hutchinson, in career wins at the school.

LAST TIME OUT
The Huskies dropped a 3-2 overtime decision at second-ranked East Stroudsburg on Tuesday afternoon. Bloomsburg trailed 2-0 at the end of the first half before junior Erica Krebs (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) and senior MacKenna Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) scored second-half goals to force overtime. However, with 3:03 left in the first extra period, East Stroudsburg's Bailey Quinn scored to send the Huskies to their second straight loss. Freshman Dana Sheply (Maple Shade, N.J./Maple Shade) stopped seven shots in defeat.

Mercyhurst has not played since Sunday, October 1, when it defeated Converse College, 6-2, in a non-conference contest. The Lakers outshot the Valkyries, 27-8, and got two goals from Nicolette Tomani and one each from Leah Rogers, Bryna Cook, Katie Ballew, and Taylor Balser. Three Laker goalkeepers combined to make two saves in the win.

Lindenwood dropped a 3-0 decision at tenth-ranked Millersville on Thursday afternoon. The Marauders outshot the Lions, 23-8, and also held a significant edge in penalty corners, 15-3. Skylar Starbeck stoppend ten shots in defeat.
 
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
Bloomsburg enters the weekend ranked ninth in the latest Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II coaches poll but has dropped three of its last four to fall to 5-5 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Huskies are fourth in the conference in scoring offense (3.00) but are second-to-last in scoring defense (1.90). Senior MacKenna Mahan (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) has established career-highs in goals (7), assists (4), and points (18) and currently leads the team in scoring. She ranks tied for sixth in the league in points, tied for seventh in goals, and tied for sixth in assists. Junior Abby Sauder (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal) is also having a career year, also setting new personal-bests in goals (6), assists (2), and points (14). She is second on the team in scoring. Defensively, senior Sally DeLuca (West Pittston, Pa./Wyoming Area) leads the conference with five defensive saves while also adding a goal and an assist for three points. Freshman Dana Sheply (Maple Shade, N.J./Maple Shade) has started eight games and is 4-4 with a 1.83 goals against average and a .706 save percentage. Freshman Hannah Barnard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) is 1-1 with a 1.83 goals against average and a .733 save percentage in three appearances (two starts).
 
SCOUTING MERCYHURST
After starting 2-4, the Lakers have won three of their last four to even their record at 5-5 overall with a 1-2 mark in league play. Nicolette Tomani leads Mercyhurst with six goals and one assist for 13 points on the season. She has two multi-goal games to her credit including scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Mansfield on September 27. Clare Ahern is also in double figures as she has chipped in three goals and five assists for 11 points. Her five assists is tied for fifth in the conference. In goal, Victoria Triaga has started all ten contests and is 5-5 with a 1.84 goals against average and a .643 save percentage.

SCOUTING LINDENWOOD
After starting the season with six wins in its first six games, Lindenwood has dropped two of its last three and brings a 7-2 overall record into Sunday's match. As a team, the Lions have scored 23 goals in nine games. Bridget Hoogendijk leads Lindenwood in scoring with eight goals and an assist for 17 points. Greta Banholzer is also in double figures in scoring as she has chipped in three goals and a team-high four assists for 10 points. The duo have combined for nearly half of the team's goals and have recorded five of the team's seven game-winning tallies. In goal, Skylar Starbeck has stopped 35 shots on the season and is 7-2 with a 1.70 goals against average and a .745 save percentage.

UP NEXT
Bloomsburg will be back on the road and will return to conference action on Wednesday, October 11, when it travels to Mansfield University. Start time is slated for 4:00 p.m.