MADISON, N.J. (October 31, 2017) - The FDU field hockey team will host DeSales in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Semifinal tomorrow evening.
MAC FREEDOM TOURNAMENT INFO
The No. 1 seeded Devils will host the Bulldogs under the lights at Robert T. Shields Field at 7 p.m. In the other semifinal, No. 2 Misericordia hosts No. 3 Wilkes, also at 7 p.m. The two winners will meet Saturday at the highest remaining seed at time to be determinded.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Devils went 6-1 in the MAC Freedom this season, edging Misericordia by virtue of their head-to-head win over the Cougars.
HOME COOKIN'
FDU is 8-2 on the season at the friendly confines of Robert T. Shields Field, dropping a pair of non-conference home contests.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
For the last four seasons, the Devils have claimed the No. 1 seed in the MAC Freedom Tournament. They'll be hoping to recreate the magic of 2014, when they knocked off Misericordia 2-1 in the finals, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1984.
CORNER TIME
The Devils are fourth nationally in penalty corners per game, averaging 12.53 per contest.
DEFENSE IS KEY
Senior
Lauren Brannan moved into a tie for second place all-time with eight defensive saves in a career. This season, Brannan, sophomore
Marie Pietracatella and junior
Makayla Pak all tied for the team lead with three defensive saves.
BALANCED ATTACK
In the Devils 13 wins, nine different players have recorded a game-winning tally. Senior
Marissa Kowalskie leads the squad with three game-winning goals.
SHOT STOPPER
Junior goalkeeper
Samantha Rubin leads the conference with both a .793 save percentage and 1.02 goals against average, and was a three-time MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week.
QUOTE SHEET
"I've seen how talented and hard-working our team is since August," said junior
Brooke Sherwin.
"Playing at home is a huge honor and gives us a visual on who and what we play for," junior
Chrissy Penney said. "We play for the name on the jersey and for our fans. Seeing them there supporting us and getting excited with us is truly a special feeling that cannot be matched. As long as we believe in ourselves, I know we can make good things happen!"
COACH'S THOUGHTS
"We are so excited for postseason and to see what this team can do. Post season brings a different energy, every team shows up for post season because nothing else matters than this game. Win and advance, bottom line. So our focus is on our team play both offensively and defensively-we play as a unit. We continue to climb the ladder towards ultimate greatness and we are excited to prove that on the field tomorrow.
"This year is a different feel from years past because we have had a target on our back every game. This team thrives under pressure situations and confidence is what guides us through. So I have to follow this teams mindset, we are ALL IN to go very far this season."
CAN'T MAKE IT?
Live stats and video will be available on fdudevils.com
