Boone, N.C. – Appalachian State University field hockey will open its season this weekend with a pair of home games against Towson on Friday at 7 p.m. and Georgetown on Sunday at noon.
Friday will mark the start of Appalachian's second season in the Mid-American Conference. The Mountaineers burst onto the scene in 2017, winning three of their final four conference matches to qualify for the MAC tournament.
Voters in the 2018 MAC Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll predicted a fourth place finish for the Mountaineers in conference play. Head coach
Meghan Dawson's squad also received a tournament champion vote in the poll.
The Mountaineers won their home opener this past season against La Salle 3-1. Junior
Ali Williams tallied two goals, while sophomore
Annette Jarosz notched an assist.
Scouting Towson
App opens its 2018 campaign against Towson, who finished with a 1-16 record this past season. The Tigers were predicted last out of seven teams in the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association's preseason poll. With only three upperclassmen, Towson features a young roster with 11 freshmen. Towson's last winning record came back in 2008, where the Tigers opened the season on a five-game winning streak.
Scouting Georgetown
The Hoyas struggled in the competitive Big East Conference in 2017, going 1-6 in conference. This past season, the Hoyas finished 9-10, winning eight of 12 nonconference matchups. Eleven upperclassmen help lead the Hoyas, but Georgetown's leading scorer in 2017 was freshman Cami Osborne. Now a sophomore, Osborne looks to build off of her freshman season where she netted 12 goals and notched a pair of assists. Georgetown was also predicted at the bottom of its conference for 2018.
Series History
Appalachian defeated Towson 2-1 in the squad's most recent matchup against the Tigers in 2014. Before 2014, the Tigers bested the Mountaineers four times since 2006, which included three-straight shutout victories from 2009-11.
Since 2004, Appalachian is 4-3 against Georgetown. The Hoyas are 2-0 against the Mountaineers in the past two seasons. App won three consecutive games against Georgetown to open the series, recording wins in 2004, 2007 and 2010. App's biggest win came in 2004 – a 3-1 victory in Boone.
What's Next
Appalachian's home stand continues next weekend when the Mountaineers host LIU Brooklyn on Aug. 31 and Rider on Sept. 2. Appalachian defeated the Blackbirds 8-1 in 2016.
