Oct. 22, 2012

Patriot League Field Hockey Release - 10.22.12

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament picture is nearly complete, but one precious spot remains heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Holy Cross and Colgate will face off in Hamilton with the last berth in the four-team field on the line. The winner will earn the No. 4 seed in the tourney and face off with top seed and host Lafayette, which clinched its position with a 7-0 win over Holy Cross on Saturday. The defending champion Leopards will host the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Lafayette needs a win at Lehigh on Saturday to finish an undefeated Patriot League season and claim sole possession of the regular-season title for the first time since 2002. If the Leopards falter, the winner of Saturday's Bucknell at American matchup will earn a split of the regular-season crown. The Bison and Eagles each qualified for the Patriot League Tournament with wins last weekend, and will face off again in the semifinal round on Nov. 2. The winner of Saturday's game will be the higher seed in the League Tournament.

Four teams have a final non-League contest this week as well, highlighted by matchups against top 10 foes on Monday and Tuesday. American is at No. 6 Maryland on Monday at 7 p.m. while Bucknell goes to No. 7 Penn State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Patriot League Notebook

THE TOP FIVE @PATRIOTLEAGUE NOTES
*Lafayette will host the 2012 Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament. *American and Bucknell have also earned spots in the field. *The final berth will go to the winner of Saturday's Holy Cross-Colgate game. *Lafayette is hosting the League Tournament for the first time since 2002. *Lafayette has an 11-game win streak with two games this weekend.

Familiar Faces in Patriot League Tournament
It's certainly nothing new to see Lafayette, American and Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament. The defending champion Leopards will make a League record 16th Tournament appearance, and seventh in a row. The Eagles are in the field for the 12th time in as many seasons in the Patriot League, while the Bison make it for the fifth straight year and 15th overall. The Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament will be at Lafayette's Rappolt Field on Nov. 2-3. The winner of the Patriot League Championship will go to an NCAA Play-In game on Nov. 6 at the champion of the Ivy League.

Crusaders, Raiders Try to Get Back to Postseason
Holy Cross and Colgate are each aiming to join the group in the postseason. Holy Cross has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament 12 times, but has not made it since a run of 10 consecutive seasons in the event came to an end in 2006. Colgate has appeared eight times, most recently in 2010.

DiCroce, Bliss Making Impact in Patriot League Record Book
Lafayette senior Deanna DiCroce leads the Patriot League with 33 points this season, and has entered the League's career top 10 in goals (46, 9th place) to go with even loftier standings in assists (39, 4th) and points (131, 6th). She has a Patriot League record with nine career Offensive Player of the Week awards. Her teammate, sophomore Brittany Blass, set a Patriot League single-season record with her sixth Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday.

Leopards Stand Out in NCAA Statistics
Lafayette ranks in the top 10 nationally in both goals per game (3.50) and goals against average (0.99), where it stands third...Deanna DiCroce is ninth in the nation in points per game for the Leopards, while teammate Emily Valeo ranks in a tie for second and DiCroce is seventh in assists per contest...Lafayette's Jessica Deutsch is fourth in the country with a 1.01 goals against average.

Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
AMIE PRITCHARD, BUCKNELL So., M, Rumson, N.J.
Pritchard tallied her first career hat trick to help lift Bucknell into the Patriot League Tournament with a 6-2 win over Lehigh on Saturday. The victory clinched the Bison's fifth consecutive appearance in the postseason. All three of her goals came in the second half as the Bison built on a lead that was just 1-0 at intermission. Pritchard came into the game with two goals for the year, and is now tied for second on the team with 17 points. She is named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for the first time.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRITTANY BLASS, LAFAYETTE So., M, Mountain Top, Pa.
Blass sets a Patriot League record with her sixth Defensive Player of the Week award after a strong performance on both ends of the field in a 7-0 win over Holy Cross on Saturday which clinched the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the Leopards. She scored two goals and added an assist while also helping the Lafayette defense hold Holy Cross to no shots or penalty corners in the game. Lafayette clinches a share of the regular-season title and will host the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2002.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
ASHLEY DALISERA, AMERICAN Jr., GK, Millersville, Md.
Dalisera came through with 11 saves to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 win at Colgate on Saturday. She tallied four saves in the first half and seven after intermission as American held on to make the Patriot League Tournament for the 12th time in as many seasons in the League. The only goal came after she had made the initial save on a penalty corner attempt. Dalisera is named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season and fourth in her career.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
ABBY WATSON, BUCKNELL Fr., F, Medford, N.J.
Watson had an assist on a penalty corner as Bucknell took a 1-0 halftime lead on its way to a 6-2 win over Lehigh on Saturday. It was her second career assist and helped Bucknell to a victory that clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament. Watson earns her first Patriot League Rookie of the Week award, and the sixth by three different Bison freshmen this season.
 
HONORABLE MENTION
DEANNA DiCROCE, LAFAYETTE Sr., F, Doylestown, Pa.
DiCroce had two goals and two assists as Lafayette clinched home-field advantage in the Patriot League Tournament with a 7-0 win at Holy Cross.

SHELLY MONTGOMERY, AMERICAN Jr., M, Fairfax, Va.
Montgomery scored a pair of goals to lead American to a 4-1 win over Colgate, locking up a spot in the Patriot League Tournament for the Eagles.