Oct. 20, 2012

Patriot League Field Hockey Championship page

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - For the first time in a decade, Lafayette will host the Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament.

The No. 11-ranked and defending champion Leopards clinched the top seed in the field and right to host the postseason tournament on Nov. 2-3 by defeating Holy Cross 7-0 on Saturday. Lafayette will hold the event at Rappolt Field for the first time since 2002.

The Leopards are 13-1 overall, with 11 consecutive wins, and 4-0 in the Patriot League. Lafayette claims at least a share of the Patriot League regular-season title, and can clinch the crown outright by completing an undefeated League campaign with a win at Lehigh next Saturday.

Lafayette will make its Patriot League-record 16th appearance in the tournament, and its seventh in a row. It will be a familiar field, as American and Bucknell also clinched their spots in the postseason with wins on Saturday. The Eagles defeated Colgate 4-1 to make the Patriot League Tournament for the 12th time in as many seasons in the League. Bucknell knocked off Lehigh 6-2 to qualify for the field for the fifth consecutive year and 15th time overall.

Bucknell and American will meet in a semifinal game on Nov. 2. Both teams are 3-1 in the Patriot League, with the higher seed in the semifinal matchup determined when they face off in Washington next Saturday.

The final spot in the Patriot League Tournament is still up for grabs. Holy Cross and Colgate are each 1-3 in the League, and will meet for the last berth next Saturday in Hamilton. The winner of that game will face top-seed Lafayette in the other semifinal on Nov. 2.

The Patriot League Field Hockey Championship will be at Rappolt Field on Nov. 3. Times for both the semifinals and championship will be announced at a later date. The winner of the Patriot League Championship will move on to an NCAA Play-In game on Nov. 6 at the champion of the Ivy League.