Oct. 23, 2008

Center Valley, Pa. - No. 18 American and Lafayette will battle for first place on Saturday. It is one of three key Patriot League match-ups that could determine tournament seeding. The Eagles and Leopards enter the weekend with identical 3-0 records in Patriot League play after earning League victories last week.

Patriot League Field Hockey Release 10.23.08

Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week

Lauren Carey, Colgate Sr., D, Medfield, Mass.

Carey had a hand in three of the Raiders' four goals in Colgate's come-from-behind victory over Holy Cross. With her two goals, Carey hit double figures in goals for the second consecutive season. She is now tied for second on the all-time Colgate list for goals scored (32). With 72 points, she is just seven points away from matching the school record for career points.

Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week

Meghan Cicchi So., D, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Cicchi was part of a defensive effort that limited Lehigh to just one shot an one corner throughout the entirety of a 2-0 Lafayette victory. She also aided the Leopards offensively, recording her first goal of the season and the third of her career.

Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week

Alyssa Poorman, American Jr., GK, Doylestown, Pa.

Poorman had another outstanding week in goal for the Eagles, posting two wins and adding her sixth shutout of the season against Bucknell. In two contests, Poorman made five saves for a .833 save percentages, helping American capture a pair of victories.

Patriot League Rookie of the Week

Tatum Dyer, American Fr., D, Windham, N.H.

Dyer receives her fourth Rookie of the Week honor after playing all 70 minutes on defense in each of No. 20 American's contests over the weekend. She helped the Eagles to a 4-0 triumph over Bucknell on Saturday, and went the distance in a 4-1 win over the Towson Tigers. Dyer helped anchor a defensive unit that surrendered just one goal and six shots on net in two outings.

Honorable Mention

Irene Schickhardt, American Sr., A, Ludwigsburg, German Schickhardt notched a pair of five-point outings to lead American to a 2-0 week. She registered two goals and an assist in a decisive 4-0 triumph over Bucknell. She then matched that effort with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 victory over Towson

Maggie Condon, Lafayette Sr., M, Lake Bluff, Ill. Condon recorded her fourth game-winning goal of the season in a 2-0 win against arch rival Lehigh. She also notched her fourth assist of the season against the Mountain Hawks.

Trina Boyer, Bucknell Sr., F, Macungie, Pa. Boyer recorded her first career hat trick against Georgetown on Sunday. She scored all three Bucknell goals in a 3-1 Bison victory. It is the second Bucknell hat trick of the season.

Patriot League Notebook

American and Lafayette Are In

No. 18 American and Lafayette each won their third consecutive Patriot League contests on Saturday to maintain a share of first place at 3-0 in League action and clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament. The Eagles earned a 4-0 shutoutagainst Bucknell, while Lafayette earned a 2-0 triumph over archrival Lehigh. Colgate moved ahead of Bucknell for third place with a 4-3 win over Holy Cross. At 1-2, Bucknell remains a game ahead of winless Holy Cross and Lehigh for the final tournament spot.

Playoff Positions On the Line This Weekend

Lafayette travels to No. 18 American for a Saturday match-up with first place on the line in the Patriot League. If American beats Lafayette, it will host the 2008 Patriot League Tournament. If Lafayette beats American and Bucknell beats Colgate, the Leopards will host the League Tournament. Colgate and Bucknell have shots at joining American and Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament. Colgate will clinch a spot in the field with a win against Bucknell. The Bison will earn a spot in the tournament if they beat Colgate and Lehigh beats Holy Cross.

Team Notebooks

American No. 18 American moved to 3-0 in the Patriot League with a 4-0 victory over Bucknell on Saturday. The Eagles added a 4-1 triumph over non-conference foe Towson on Sunday. Senior Irene Schickhardt played a key role in both victories. Schickhardt contributed five point on both afternoons, contributing to six of the Eagles eight goals in their two victories. Schickhardt scored two goals and added an assist in the win over Bucknell, then duplicated that effort with identical numbers against Towson. The Eagles can clinch the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament on Saturday when the battle co-League leader Lafayette in Washington.

Bucknell The Bison went 1-2 during a week that included two matches against nationally ranked foes. The Bison dropped a 4-2 contest to No. 10 Penn State, then fell 4-0 at then-No. 20 American. Bucknell rebounded for a 3-1 at Georgetown on Sunday. Trina Boyer scored all three goals in the victory over the Hoyas, marking the second hat trick by a Bucknell player in 2008. Prior to this season, Bucknell had not had a hat trick since 1999. A pair of Bison passed the previous school record of 10 assists in a season. Corinne Raczek now has 12 assists, while Morgan Kauffman has 11. If Lehigh beats Holy Cross this weekend, the Bison would clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with a win over Colgate.

Colgate The Raiders have now won six of their last eight contests after a 4-3 win over Holy Cross on Saturday. Senior Lauren Carey contributed to three of the Raiders' four goals with two goals and an assist. Carey is now in double-figures in goals for the second consecutive season. She is tied for second at Colgate in career goals (32) and is within seven points of movinginto a tie for first place in career points (76). The Raiders would clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with a win over Bucknell this weekend.

Holy Cross The Crusaders slipped to 0-3 with a 4-3 loss at Colgate last weekend. Holy Cross also suffered a 7-0 defeat at the hands of then-No.1 Syracuse. Holy Cross will look for its first League win of the season on Saturday when it battles Lehigh in Easton, Pa.

Lafayette Lafayette kept even with co-League leader American with a 2-0 win over archrival Lehigh on Saturday. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Andersen recorded her second consecutive shutout by stopping the only shot she faced. It was the fourth shutout of the season for Andersen and the seventh of her career. The Leopards will go to Washington, D.C. with a chance to claim sole possession of first place. Lafayette and American will square off at Noon on Saturday.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks dropped one League match and one non-League match during the week. Lehigh was beaten 2-0 at home by archrival Lafayette on Saturday before falling 2-0 at home to Columbia. The Mountain Hawks will pursue their first Patriot League victory of the year on Saturday when they battle Holy Cross in Easton, Pa.