Oct. 28, 2008

Center Valley, Pa.--American clinched the top seed and home field advantage for the upcoming Patriot League Tournament with a 3-1 win over previous League-unbeaten Lafayette. After American, however, the remaining seeds are undetermined with one week of League play remaining. Holy Cross and Bucknell will battle for the final tournament spot on Saturday. Lafayette and Colgate have secured their places in the tournament, but their seeds remain a mystery.

Patriot League Field Hockey Release 10.28.08

Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 20-Oct. 26)

Trina Boyer, Bucknell Sr., F, Macungie, Pa. Boyer helped the Bison secure a key League victory with a pair of goals in a 4-3 triumph over Colgate. Boyer scored with 4:35 remaining to give the Bison a 3-2 lead. She scored again with 1:17 left to break a 3-3 tie and move the Bison into a tie for third place with Colgate. Boyer has now scored five goals in her last two games.

Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 20-Oct. 26)

Amanda Faust, Bucknell Sr., D, Kingston, Pa. Faust assisted on the game-winning goal against Colgate with 1:17 remaining, while also anchoring the Bison defense against the Colgate charge. Faust also had a goal and an assist in the first half to help Bucknell take a 2-0 lead.

Goalkeeper of the Week (Oct. 20-Oct. 26)

Alyssa Poorman, American Jr., GK, Doylestown, Pa. Poorman made three key saves in the Eagles' 3-1 win over Lafayette to clinch the Patriot League regular season title. Poorman surrendered just one goal against the Leopards to claim her ninth victory of the season.

Rookie of the Week (Oct. 20-Oct. 26)

Tatum Dyer, American Fr., D, Windham, N.H. Dyer played every minute for the American defense, helping the Eagles clinch the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Championship with a 3-1 win over Lafayette. She was part of a defensive unit that allowed just one goal. She also recorded her first defensive save early in the first half to keep the Leopards off the board.

Patriot League Notebook

Going to Washington No. 19 American clinched the top spot in the upcoming Patriot League Championship with a 3-1 win over Lafayette. The Eagles and Leopards were tied for the League lead entering the weekend match-up. Though Lafayette and Colgate have clinched spots in the tournament, the three spots behind American are still up for grabs. Currently, Lafayette sits a game ahead of Colgate and Bucknell. Despite losing to Bucknell, 4-3, Colgate clinched a spot in the tournament. Holy Cross earned its first league win with a 4-3 triumph over Lehigh, putting the Crusaders in contention for the final spot in the tournament.

Playoff Positions On the Line This Weekend With a win over Colgate, Lafayette can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Championship. Colgate can claim the second seed with a win and a Bucknell loss. Though Bucknell has not clinched a spot in the tournament, the Bison can earn the second seed. The Bison could climb to second place with a win over Holy Cross and a Colgate victory over Lafayette. The Bison would be knocked out of the tournament with a loss to Holy Cross and a Colgate victory over Lafayette. In that case, Holy Cross and Bucknell would be tied for the fourth and final spot in the tournament, with Holy Cross earning the nod based on head-to-head competition. Tiebreakers are available at www.patriotleague.com.

2008 Patriot League Championship The 2008 Patriot League Field Hockey Championship will be held Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8 in Washington, D.C. Two semifinal games will take place on Friday, Nov. 7 with the No. 1 seed, American, facing the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 seed. The championship game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Rulers of the Rankings American remains in the rankings this week, falling one spot to 19th in the latest STX/NFHCA coaches poll. The Eagles won their only contest last week, topping Lafayette 3-1.

Team Notebooks

American No. 19 American moved to 4-0 in the Patriot League with a 3-1 victory over Lafayette on Saturday. In the process, the Eagles clinched the top seed and home field advantage in the upcoming Patriot League Championship. With a goal against the Leopards, Irene Schickhardt moved into third place in career scoring at American with 129 points. She needs just seven points to move into second place. Schickhardt also ranks fifth in career scoring in the Patriot League. The Eagles will play against Lehigh in Easton, Pa. on Friday at 7 p.m.

Bucknell The Bison claimed a key 4-3 win over Colgate on Saturday, leaving them a game back of second place. Trina Boyer scored twice in the final 4:35, including the game-winner with 1:17 left in the contest. Amanda Faust, who scored a goal of her own, assisted both of Boyer's goals. The Bison could finish as high as second and as low as fifth in the Patriot League standings, depending on this weekend's outcomes. Bucknell will play at Holy Cross at noon on Saturday.

Colgate Despite a 4-3 loss at Bucknell, the Raiders clinched a spot in the Patriot League Championship. Even with a loss this weekend, Colgate would qualify for the tournament if there were a three-way tie for the final two spots. In the loss, Lauren Carey registered a goal and an assist. She is now four points away from setting the school record for career points. With 33 goals, she is now second in career goals at Colgate. The Raiders could finish as high as second and as low as fourth in the Patriot League standings. They'll battle Lafayette at noon on Saturday. Colgate will be seeking its first 10-win season since 2004.

Holy Cross The Crusaders maintained their hopes for a berth in the Patriot League Championship with a 4-3 win over Lehigh. Kristin Schulz had a goal and an assist in the first half to lead the Crusaders. Schulz leads Holy Cross in scoring with eight goals and three assists for 19 points. Should Colgate beat Lafayette, the Crusaders would make the tournament field with a victory over Bucknell.

Lafayette Lafayette suffered its first League loss with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of American on Saturday. Meghan Cicchi score the lone goal for the Leopards. It was the second goal of the season for Cicchi, and the second consecutive outing that she scored. Cicchi also helped the Leopards limit American to six shots, including just three shots on goal, both season-lows for the Eagles. The Leopards can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Championship with a win against Colgate. The Leopards and Raiders meet at noon on Saturday.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks dropped to 0-4 in Patriot League play with a 4-3 loss at the hands of Holy Cross. Lauren Cawley led Lehigh in defeat, scoring a goal and an assist, while also making her first defensive save of the season. She led all players in the game with nine shots, including seven on goal. Cawley nearly led the Mountain Hawks to their first Patriot League win after she was forced into the lineup at sweeper due to an injury. Lehigh will pursue its first League victory on Friday against League-leading American.