University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 1 FH Concludes Its Regular Season Slate This Weekend
10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
LIVE STATS: Quinnipiac |
VIDEO: Quinnipiac | Boston College
TWITTER: @UConnFieldHockey
STORRS, Conn. - The No. 1 UConn field hockey team closes out its regular season slate this weekend with a matchup at Quinnipiac Friday, October 27 (3 p.m.) before hosting Senior Day against No. 11 Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 28 (4 p.m.).
The Huskies will honor the 2017 Senior Class prior to the tilt against the Eagles, in their eight Top-20 matchup this fall.
Catching Up With UConn
The Huskies scooped up another shutout win last week, as they ran their record to 15-0 in 2017. UConn notched its 24th consecutive conference victory, tripping up Georgetown 10-0.
With the win against Georgetown, UConn was crowned the BIG EAST Regular Season Champions for the 17th time in program history. The Huskies will enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and look to capture their sixth-straight BIG EAST Tournament Championship.
Through 15 games, 10 different players have found the back of the cage for UConn's high-powered offensive. Senior Charlotte Veitner is pacing the conference with 61 points and 25 goals, while senior Casey Umstead and junior Amanda Collins are posting a team-high 16 helpers apiece. Goalkeeper Nina Klein is boasting a 0.78 goals against average, 35 saves and owns nine shutouts in net.
Scouting the Competition
Quinnipiac improved to 6-11 overall after picking up a pair of wins last week. The Bobcats blanked conference foe Temple, 1-0, to improve to 3-3 in the BIG EAST, before edging Lafayette in overtime, 3-2. Dayna Barlow is leading the squad in points (18) and goals (7), while Michelle Federico is posting a team-best six assists. Goalkeeper Livi Golini is recording a 2.88 goals against average, a .672 save percentage and 84 saves.
Boston College enters the week 11-6 after being blanked at Wake Forest, 3-0, last weekend. Alesandra Miller and Fusine Govaert are nothing a team-high 13 points apiece, while Govaert leads all Eagles with six goals and Miller is tallying a team-best seven assists. In the cage, Sarah Dwyer owns a 3.07 save goals against average, a .608 save percentage and 31 saves.
No. 1 Across the Board
The UConn field hockey team maintained its unbeaten record last week to sustain its grip on the No. 1 ranking in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Coaches Poll as announced on Oct. 24.
UConn totaled 1,097 points and 41 first-place votes to claim the No. 1 ranking for the sixth straight week.
Head Coach Nancy Stevens has now led the UConn field hockey program to its fourth No. 1 ranking since taking over at the helm. Stevens and the Huskies last held the distinction in 2016, after a 9-0 start to the season.
Additionally, UConn serves as No. 1 in the national RPI, after an impressive 15-0 start and 7-0 clip against top-20 opponents.
National Players of the Week
Senior Charlotte Veitner, who ranks first in the nation in goals per game (1.79) and second in points per game (4.36), has garnered Longstreth/ NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honors three times this season. The senior was tabbed the Player of the Week on Oct. 10, Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. Additionally, classmate Casey Umstead pegged NFHCA Honorable Mention on Sept. 27 and Sept. 3.
Statistically the Best
UConn has garnered a handful of top NCAA statistics. Forward Charlotte Veitner bosting an NCAA-leading 4.36 points per game and 1.79 goals per game.
Senior Casey Umstead and Junior Amanda Collins are knotted for third in the nation in assists tallying 1.07 helpers per game, while sophomore Svea Boker is notching 0.92 assists per game to sit fifth overall.
Defensively, goalkeeper Nina Klein's impressive 0.60 goals against average leads all goalies, while UConn's 4.61 scoring margin rank atop the NCAA.
Going Streaking
UConn is currently riding a 15-game win streak, spanning from Aug. 25-Oct. 22. The Huskies remain the lone undefeated team in DI and are outscoring their opponents 79-9 during this time.
Defending the Wall
Goalkeeper Nina Klein and the Huskies held their opponents scoreless for 206-minutes to begin the season. During that time, UConn outscored its opponents 9-0, after blanking then- No. 13 Stanford, 2-0, and No. 14 Northwestern, 7-0.
Klein is now locked with Husky alum Sarah Mansfield for the top spot on UConn's career shutout list with 33.
Did You Know...?
Forward Charlotte Veitner is now UConn's all-time goals, assists and points leader. After claiming the top spot in points (280) and assists (62) in 2016, Veitner completed the offensive trifecta with her record-breaking goal at Villanova on Oct. 6. The senior now owns 109 career tallies, becoming just the 12th player in DI history to eclipse the 100-goal mark.
Goalkeeper Nina Klein owns the program record for most wins and shutouts (34) by a goalkeeper. The redshirt-senior has notched 78 career wins in net- surpassing All-American and national champion Sarah Mansfield.
Queens of the BIG EAST
The Huskies are currently riding a 24-game conference win streak, dating back to the 2013 national championship season. UConn has strung together five consecutive BIG EAST Tournament Championships dating back to 2012.
