BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University field hockey (2-4) will play its inaugural Mid-American Conference game on Friday, Sept. 15, against the defending MAC champion Kent State. The Mountaineers will also host Miami (Ohio) on Sunday. Both games this weekend will be held at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field.
Inaugural MAC Weekend
@AppFieldHockey vs.
@KentStFH
Friday, Sept. 15 | 2 p.m. | Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field | Boone, N.C.
Live Stats
@AppFieldHockey vs.
@MiamiOH_FH
Sunday, Sept. 17 | 12 p.m. | Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field | Boone, N.C.
Live Stats
About the Mountaineers
The Apps are coming off a 1-1 weekend that included a shutout win over Davidson and a 6-1 loss to then No. 4 North Carolina.
Taylor Cimbalist paced the offense with a goal in each game, which included scoring the game winner in the 2-0 win over the Wildcats. Freshman
Veerle Van Heertum also netted her first-career goal. Against the Tar Heels,
Rachel Gaines set a season-high with 13 saves and currently ranks fifth in the nation with an 8.83 saves-per-game average. That average and her 53 total saves are also good for first in the conference.
Mid-American Standings
The Mountaineers' 2-4 mark puts them tied for third in the MAC Standings with Miami. Longwood holds first place with a 5-1 record and is followed by Ball State who is 3-3. Kent State (2-5), Ohio (1-5) and Central Michigan (0-6) round out the bottom half of the standings.
Scouting Kent State (2-5)
The Golden Flashes are coming off a two-loss weekend that included a 1-0 loss to Temple and a 2-1 loss at No. 14 Northwestern. In 2016, Kent State was undefeated in MAC play (6-0) and finished with a 14-7 overall mark. Twelve-year head coach Kathleen Wilder and the Golden Flashes have claimed the last three MAC Tournament titles and last five regular season championships.
Ines Delpech leads the Kent State offense with three goals and is followed by Helen Harper who has scored two goals. A pair of goalkeepers in Kylie LeBlanc and Azure Fernsler have split time at goal for Kent State. LeBlanc has made 20 saves while allowing just five goals and Fernsler's goal-to-save ratio is 12:13.
Scouting Miami (2-4)
The RedHawks opened the season with wins over No. 18 Albany and Siena, but are on a four-game skid that includes two overtime losses. Head coach Iñako Puzo enters his seventh season and holds a 76-75 career record and a 25-13 record in the MAC. In 2016, Miami finished second in the MAC with a 5-1 record and advanced to the MAC Tournament championship, but lost to Kent State, 4-0.
Eight different student-athletes have scored for Miami as Paula Portugal leads the offense with four goals. As a team, the RedHawks lead the conference in a couple of offense categories: shots (95), shots per game (15.83), goals scored (15) and goals scored per game (2.50). Defensively, Maddi Passarella has served as the primary goalkeeper and has made 26 saves while allowing 12 goals.
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