BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University field hockey (9-5, 1-3 MAC) plays its final home game of the season with a Mid-American Conference matchup against Kent State on Friday at 5 p.m.
App State's final home matchup against the conference-leading Golden Flashes will mark Senior Night for seven Appalachian State student-athletes –
Michelle Taylor,
Lydia Bullock,
Melissa Nobile,
Ashton Coley,
Ali Williams,
Kaley Selner and
Rachel Gaines. App State will honor its seven seniors before Friday's contest.
The Mountaineers then travel to Winston-Salem on Sunday to battle No. 20 Wake Forest in an in-state clash. The game at Kentner Stadium is set to begin at 1 p.m.
About the Mountaineers
App State notched its ninth win of the season over the weekend, defeating Saint Louis 2-1 at Adcock Field. App State's nine wins this season are its most since winning 12 games back in 2003.
The Mountaineers fell behind early in the second period, but goals from freshman
Madison Miles and junior
Veerle Van Heertum powered App State to its sixth one-goal victory. Miles' score was her first as a Mountaineer, pinpointing a backhanded effort into the back of the Saint Louis goal cage. The freshman's score also made her the 10
th App State student-athlete to notch a goal this season. Less than two minutes into the second half, Van Heertum blasted a goal off a penalty corner to score the game-winner. Her tally tied her for the team lead in goals (six) with fellow junior
Meghan Smart.
Smart and Van Heertum also tie for team lead in points with 14 apiece. Sophomore
Friederike Stegen paces the Mountaineers with six assists. Senior goalkeeper
Rachel Gaines amassed four more saves on Sunday, boosting her season total to 75 stops. Gaines ranks sixth in program history with 430 saves.
Head coach
Meghan Dawson played 24 players in Sunday's victory, getting key minutes from 13 players off the bench. App State's depth has helped the Mountaineers notch an 8-2 record against nonconference opponents, dropping its only two nonconference matchups to No. 1 North Carolina and No. 5 Michigan. Sunday's win over the Billikens also set a career-high in victories for Dawson in a single season as App State's head coach.
Scouting Kent State (9-6, 4-0 MAC)
Kent State boasts the only undefeated record against MAC opponents, securing a pair of 3-2 victories in its previous two conference contests. The Golden Flashes knocked off Miami at home on Oct. 11 before scoring a late goal to slip past Central Michigan on Friday. Kent State also defeated Ohio 5-1 and Ball State 1-0 earlier in 2019. The Flashes earned a win over a ranked opponent on Sept. 8 when they recorded a 2-1 triumph over No. 24 Maine. Kent State has totaled the most assists in the MAC, averaging 1.80 assists per game. Head coach Kyle DeSandes-Moyer's team also has tallied 36 goals, which ranks first in the conference in goals scored. Junior Clara Rodriguez Seto leads the Flashes with 21 points, recording eight goals and five assists this season. Senior Laila Richter leads the conference with 10 assists. Kent State's roster features 13 upperclassmen – seven seniors and six juniors.
Scouting No. 20 Wake Forest (7-8)
Wake Forest sits one game below .500 entering one of its final weekends of the regular season. The Demon Deacons have registered wins over two ranked teams this season – No. 13 Liberty and No. 15 Stanford. The Deacons are 2-2 against common opponents with App State, defeating Miami and Davidson, while falling to North Carolina and Michigan. Wake Forest is still winless in the challenging Atlantic Coast Conference, where four teams reside in the Top 10. Sophomore Laia Vancells leads the Deacons with 12 points, totaling four goals and four assists in 15 games. Junior Anne van Hoof tops the team with five goals while also firing a team-high 36 shots and 19 shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Isla Bent has started every game this season, recording three shutouts and making 50 saves in the goal cage.
Series History
Kent State – App State holds an 0-4 record against Kent State since 2013, scoring just three goals in four games against the Golden Flashes. Kent State owns a 3-0 record over the Mountaineers since App State entered the MAC in 2017. The Black and Gold dropped two games to the Flashes in 2018, losing 3-1 in the regular season before falling in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament 4-0.
Wake Forest – The Mountaineers are winless against the Demon Deacons in 18 games since 1999. App State faced Wake Forest during its run to three-straight national titles between 2002-04. The Mountaineers scored three goals in 2018 at Wake Forest, securing scores from
Melissa Nobile, Van Heertum and Stegen in an 8-3 defeat. The Mountaineers last defeated the Deacons back in 1991, where App State registered a 1-0 victory.
What's Next
The Mountaineers will play their final regular-season game at Ball State (3-11, 1-3 MAC) on Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. App State will then enter postseason competition at the Mid-American Conference Tournament hosted in Oxford, Ohio. The tournament begins with an opening-round matchup on Nov. 6.
