BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University field hockey (5-10, 1-3 MAC) travels to Oxford, Ohio, to battle Mid-American Conference leader Miami on Saturday at noon. The Mountaineers close out the regular season with three-straight games away from Adcock Field.
About the Mountaineers
Appalachian celebrated seniors
Keighly Adams and
Sarah Heiss at Adcock Field Friday with a 5-1 victory over Central Michigan. The Mountaineers struck first when junior
Ali Williams tapped in
Annette Jarosz's pass from the right side of the circle. App State then used four second-half goals to secure the victory. Sophomore
Veerle Van Heertum netted two goals off penalty corners, while freshman
Friederike Stegen and Williams rounded out the second-half scoring with their fifth and sixth goals of 2018, respectively. Redshirt-freshman
Madison Nuckols also made six saves to record her first victory in the goal cage. Van Heertum leads the Mountaineers in points (19), goals (eight), shots (39) and shots on goal (18). Stegen and sophomore
Chloe Bell rank first in assists with seven apiece. Van Heertum will enter Saturday's game at Miami on a three-game point streak. The sophomore also recorded a similar streak earlier this season, tallying two or more points against LIU Brooklyn, Rider and Davidson. The Valkenswaard, Netherlands native also ranks third in the MAC in total shots and points. Jarosz's four defense saves are tied for first in the conference. The sophomore ranks third in Mountaineers' history with nine career defensive saves.
Scouting Miami (10-6, 4-0 MAC)
The RedHawks have dominated the MAC in 2018, registering four shutouts to open conference play. Miami has outscored conference opponents 16-0. The RedHawks' defense has stifled opposing offenses, shutting out their opponents seven times this season. Miami also knocked off No. 22 Ohio State on Sept. 16, allowing only two shots on goal to the Buckeyes. The RedHawks went 1-1 this past weekend with a 4-1 victory over Saint Louis and a 3-2 loss in overtime at No. 10 Louisville. Since a loss to Boston University on Sept. 8, Miami is 7-2 with a scoring aggregate of 30-7. Senior Paula Portugal leads the MAC in points (35) and goals (16). The Madrid, Spain native averages over two points per game, which also ranks first in the conference. Junior Kirsten McNeil and senior Estel Roig are tied for the team-lead in assists with six apiece. Senior Maddie Passarella has started all 16 games in the goal cage, allowing only 19 goals this season while posting a .678 save percentage.
Series History
Miami – Appalachian found early success against the RedHawks, winning the first three meetings between the two teams. The Black and Gold notched victories in three-straight seasons from 2001-03. The Mountaineers defeated Miami 3-2 in 2001, 2-1 in 2002 and 4-1 in 2003. Erica Muschamp recorded her first career hat trick in the 2003 triumph, helping App State pull away in the second half. The RedHawks have won the past six meetings, including a pair of victories over the Mountaineers this past season.
What's Next
Appalachian closes out the regular season with games at Kent State on Oct. 26 and Bucknell on Oct. 28. The game against Kent State is set to start at 2 p.m. in Kent, Ohio. The Mountaineers' final regular-season contest against Bucknell is set to begin at 1 p.m. in Lewisburg, Pa.
