BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University field hockey (8-5, 1-3 MAC) returns to Adcock Field for one of its final two home matchups of the season this weekend. The Mountaineers face Saint Louis (0-11) on Sunday for their fifth game against an Atlantic 10 foe in 2019.
About the Mountaineers
App State suffered a tight 2-1 setback at Longwood in overtime on Saturday. The Mountaineers outshot the Lancers 13-11, but a golden goal off a penalty corner midway through the first overtime period propelled Longwood to the one-score victory. Junior
Veerle Van Heertum recorded her fifth goal of the season in the second period to give Appalachian a 1-0 lead. Sophomore
Friederike Stegen and junior
Chloe Bell notched assists on Van Heertum's goal. Longwood tied the game in the third period before scoring the winning goal less than six minutes into overtime.
With seven shots and four shots on goal at Longwood, junior
Meghan Smart moved to the top of the team's ranks in shots (32) and shots on goal (22). Van Heertum has also fired 32 shots, recording 15 of them on frame. Smart's four game-winning goals rank first among all Mid-American Conference players, while her 22 shots on goal places her fourth in the conference. Stegen has notched a team-high six assists, which is good for the second-most in the MAC. Smart, Van Heertum and Stegen have all reached at least 10 points for the Mountaineers so far this season.
Appalachian carries a spotless 4-0 record against Atlantic 10 opponents into Sunday's matchup. The Mountaineers have recorded victories over Davidson, Saint Francis, Lock Haven and La Salle in 2019. Three of those four victories came by just a single goal, where the Mountaineers possess a 5-3 record in one-score contests. App State has also not allowed a goal to an Atlantic 10 opponent in 260 minutes of game action, which includes a 1-0 shootout victory at Lock Haven.
Scouting Saint Louis (0-11)
Saint Louis enters the weekend as the only winless team in Division I, dropping 12-straight contests dating back to this past season. The Billikens are 0-4 against MAC opponents, falling to Central Michigan, Ball State, Miami and Kent State in shutouts. Saint Louis has tallied seven goals this season, including two from this past weekend's 4-2 defeat at home against Richmond. Freshman Megan Rice and sophomore Emily Wastell tie for the team lead in goals with two apiece. Sophomore goalkeeper Sasha Sander has started all 11 games for the Billikens in the goal cage. The Saint Louis roster consists of 14 underclassmen, including eight freshmen and six sophomores. The Billikens have no seniors on the team and just four juniors. Head coach Danielle Baumgardner enters her fourth full season in charge of the Saint Louis program.
Series History
Saint Louis – App State holds a 5-3 record against the Billikens since 1999, winning the past three games of the series. App State recorded a 3-0 win over Saint Louis in the most recent matchup in 2017, securing goals from
Chloe Bell,
Ali Williams and former Mountaineer Savanna Sheridan. The Mountaineers also recorded a pair of victories over Saint Louis in 2003, securing two one-goal triumphs. Saint Louis tallied its three wins in the series in 2000 and 2004.
What's Next
The Mountaineers close out their home slate with Kent State on Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. Appalachian will then travel to Winston-Salem for an in-state matchup against Wake Forest on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. App State's contest against Kent State will mark Senior Day at Brandon and Erica M. Adcock Field.
