University of Massachusets Athletics
Field Hockey Opens Season At Syracuse On Sunday
August 22, 2007 | Field Hockey
Aug. 22, 2007
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Field Hockey Team kicks off the 2007 regular season on Sunday when the Minutewomen hit the road to play the Syracuse Orange (1-0) in a 2 p.m. contest at Coyne Field.
Both teams enter 2007 with new head coaches. It will be UMass' first game under first-year head coach Justine Sowry. Sowry comes to UMass following three successful seasons as an assistant with the United States National Team. Ange Bradley is now at the helm for Syracuse. She was head coach at Richmond the last six seasons.
The two teams have played 16 times total, all since 1986. Syracuse leads the series with a record of 10-5-1 including wins in the last seven head-to-head match-ups. UMass' last win versus the Orange came in the form of a 3-0 shutout in 1998.
UMass is coming off a 6-14 campaign in 2006 with a 3-4 conference record, good for sixth in the Atlantic 10. The Minutewomen return 15 letterwinners this season. Most of the scoring from last season is also back, with 37 of 38 goals from a year ago returning.
Junior forward Lauren Gillespie (Casco, Maine) was the Minutewomen's leading scorer in 2006 with 28 points on 13 goals and two assists. She is helped up front by Sophomore Cher King (Christ Church, Barbados), who had seven goals and four assists, and Senior Rachael Mervine (Conway, Mass.), who contributed five goals and six assists. Mervine and Junior Katelyn Orlando (Manchester, Mass.) led the team in 2006 with six assists apiece.
The Minutewomen defense is anchored by Senior Captain Erin O'Brien (Annandale, Va.) and Senior Kristina DoRosario (Oakville, Ontario).
UMass' two goaltenders are Sophomore Sarah Williams (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Senior Becky Letourneau (Greenfield, Mass.). Williams had a 2.48 goals-against average and a .744 save percentage in 12 starts in 2006. Letourneau had a 3.28 GAA and a .579 save percentage in eight starts.
Syracuse was 10-9 in 2006 with a 2-4 conference record, which was fifth best in the Big East. The Orange enters 2007 without its top five scorers from last season. 32 of Syracuse's 35 goals from last season were lost to graduation.
Junior Forward Brittany Shannon is the top returning scorer with three goals and six assists in 2006. Junior Heather Hess handles the goaltending duties. She had a 2.04 GAA and .690 save percentage in 16 games last season.
Streaming Video of the game will be available via Syracuse All Access. Subscription fees of $9.95/month or $79.95/year apply. Live Stats will be available at SUathletics.com free of charge.
Game Notes
• Justine Sowry has announced that Senior Erin O'Brien has been named team captain. She will be assisted by Erin Parker (Offensive Captain) and Kristina DoRosario (Defensive Captain).
• UMass makes its 2007 home debut on Wednesday, August 29 vs. Sacred Heart. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Garber Field.
• Syracuse will play back-to-back games this weekend. The Orange traveled to Hamilton, NY to play Colgate on Saturday (winning 6-4) before returning home for Sunday's UMass game.
• UMass makes its 2007 home debut on Wednesday, August 29 vs. Sacred Heart. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Garber Field.
• Orange Head Coach Ange Bradley is no stranger to UMass. She comes to Syracuse after five straight Atlantic 10 titles and NCAA Tournament appearances at Richmond. The Spiders were 42-0 in conference games the last five seasons under her direction.
• UMass Junior Mary Shea and Forward Brittany Shannon and Goalie Heather Hess of Syracuse both participated in the USA Field Hockey High Performance Training Program this off-season. UMass Coach Justine Sowry coached in that program from 2003 until this year.
• Both teams enter the season having received votes in the 2007 STX/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll. Syracuse received 32 votes while UMass received one.
• UMass has been picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches Poll. Temple and Richmond were picked to finish first and second, respectively.
• Syracuse finished fourth in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll, behind UConn, Louisville, and Providence.