CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Despite hurricane remnants passing through much of the Northeast last weekend, the 2009 field hockey season kicked off and the conference office handed out the first weekly awards of the year. University at Albany senior defender Jess Lindsey (Norristown, Pa./Methacton) received the player of the week award, while Maine freshman back Zoe Adkins (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Gleneagle Secondary) earned the campaign's first rookie of the week award.
Lindsey, who entered the season as UAlbany's career assists leader, added another to her total in Sunday's 2-0 win over Radford. Lindsey also recorded a goal in the Great Danes' season-opening win over Bucknell. She helped the Great Danes to a 2-0 record to open the season and paces the team with three total points.
Adkins made her collegiate debut last weekend, starting both of the Black Bears' games in the backfield against Hofstra and Bryant. She played well as part of a defensive unit that held Maine's opponents to just one goal in 155:00 over two games, with the only goal coming in overtime to Hofstra in Saturday's season opener.
Four ranked opponents--including Maryland, the top-ranked team in the country-- were on the opening weekend's slate, and three more opponents ranked among the top 20 teams in the country are scheduled to face America East squads this week.
Team Notebooks:
UAlbany (2-0 overall, 0-0 AE) defeated Bucknell, 2-0, on Saturday and Radford, 2-0, on Sunday to start the season undefeated… The shutout of Bucknell was the third straight season-opening shutout for the Great Danes… America East Player of the Week senior Jess Lindsey (Norristown, Pa./Methacton) recorded a goal in the defeat of Bucknell and added an assist versus Radford… Lindsey, who entered the season as UAlbany’s career assist leader, now has 40 career helpers… Sophomore Christina Patrick (Reading, Pa./Reading Catholic) also scored a goal against the Bison… Junior Sarah Deane (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) and freshman Nina Walters (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) scored versus Radford… With her first collegiate goal, Walters became the first rookie to score for the Great Danes this season… Goalkeepers Christine Hoffman (Merztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights) and Kristi Troch (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) split time in the cage, with each playing a half in both contests... The Great Danes, who were receiving votes in the Kookaburra/NFHCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll last week, return to action on Saturday, visiting Hofstra at 2 p.m.
Boston University (0-2, 0-0 AE) opened its 2009 season at the Wildcat Classic, which was hosted by Northwestern… The Terriers dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime contest to the host Wildcats on Friday before giving top-ranked Maryland a great match in a 2-0 loss to the defending national champion the following day… Boston U. got on the board first against Northwestern, but the Wildcats scored on the only two shots the Terriers allowed after halftime, including the winner in the second minute of overtime… On Saturday, the Terriers outcornered Maryland, 8-6, and the Terrapins held a slim 8-7 advantage in shots on goal… Redshirt freshman Leslie Zules (Killingworth, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth) scored her first career goal in her collegiate debut, opening the scoring against Northwestern on a goal that was assisted by junior Allie Dolce (Jamestown, R.I./North Kingstown)… Junior goalkeeper Amanda Smith (Avon, Conn./Avon) made eight saves on the weekend, including a career-high six against the Terrapins… Freshman Jacinda McLeod (Whangarei, New Zealand/Whangarei Girls High School) recorded a team-best seven shots over the two games and six of them were on goal… The Terriers will return to action on Friday (Sept. 4) when they visit Massachusetts for a 2 p.m. contest… They will return to Amherst on Sunday (Sept. 6) to face Iowa in a neutral-site game at 1 p.m.
The Stags (0-1, 0-0 AE) opened their 2009 season against fifth-ranked University of Connecticut. Anne Nieuwenhuis scored the Stags' lone goal despite making the transition to defender this year. She has scored one goal in each of her first three seasons with the program... Caitlin O'Donnell received her first career start against the Huskies and made a career-best 15 saves while facing 37 shots. O'Donnell did not earn any minutes as a freshman goalkeeper... Fairfield opens the home portion of its schedule with a pair of hoem games this weekend. The Stags host Ball State University on September 4 before taking on Villanova for a Sunday afternoon match up.
Maine (1-1, 0-0 AE) fell in overtime to Hofstra before beating Bryant… Against Hofstra on Saturday, Maine fell 1-0 in overtime…Maine had the edge in shots by an 18-13 margin and had 11 shots on goal to Hofstra’s eight, but could not score… Sophomore Lelia Sacré (North Delta, British Columbia/Syracuse) had six shots on goal and two defensive saves to lead Maine… Brittany Fleck (Vancouver, British Columbia/Crofton House School) played fantastic in net, making five saves… Courtney Veinotte (Canaan, Maine/Skowhegan) had five shots… Against Bryant on Sunday, Jocelyn Mitchell (Kanata, Ontario/Earl of March Secondary) got Maine on the board five minutes into the game and gave Maine a two-goal advantage in the 31st-minute… 2008 America East Rookie of the Year Kelly Newton (Vancouver, British Columbia/Crofton House School) scored less than a minute later to give Maine a three-goal edge going into halftime… Newton finished the scoring less than 10 minutes into the second stanza via an assist from Stephanie Gardiner (Vancouver, British Columbia/Crofton House School)… Sacré had five shots...Fleck made three saves… Maine outshot Bryant 27-4 and had an 18-2 edge in penalty corners… Former four-year Maine softball player Courtney Gingrich (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) saw her first collegiate action against Bryant… Maine has outshot its opponents 45-17 in its first two games… Sacré leads Maine with 12 shots on the year… Maine plays its home opener on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Dartmouth.
New Hampshire (0-1, 0-0 AE) opened the 2009 season with a 5-2 loss to third-ranked Syracuse University on Aug. 30 … The usual suspects were on the scoresheet for the Wildcats with Meg Shea (Melrose, Mass./Melrose) and Hayley Rausch (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) scoring goals, and Kate Collins Smyth (Parteen, County Claire, Ireland/Crescent Comprehensive) and Whitney Frates tallying assists; last year, Shea tied for the team lead in goals and Rausch tied for third while Frates ranked second in assists and Collins Smyth tied for third … In her second career start, sophomore goalkeeper Katherine Nagengast (Wesborough, Mass./Westborough) finished with a personal-best eight saves … UNH now has a 20-14-1 record in season openers … New Hampshire travels to Providence, R.I. for a pair of games this week … The Wildcats have a 12-3-1 lifetime record, including last year’s 5-2 win, vs. Brown and a 17-10 mark against Providence College; the ‘Cats have not faced the Friars since the 2006 season.
Vermont (0-2, 0-0 AE) opened the 2009 season on Friday with a 3-0 loss to #14 Boston College at home … The game remained scoreless until 51:35 in when BC tallied the only goal it would need in the contest … Catamount senior goalkeeper Kristen Heavens (Harwinton, Conn./Lewis Mills) made 12 saves in the contest, one shy of her career high … Sophomore Sarah Becque (Westborough, Mass./ Westborough) had two defensive saves in the game, while classmate Alana Izzo (Stowe, Vt./Stowe) made one … Four players made their first career start in the game for Vermont, while two freshmen also saw their first action in a Catamount uniform … On Sunday the Cats fell to William & Mary at home, 2-0 … Heavens recorded 12 stops for a second time this season, going the distance in goal … Vermont returns to action this weekend with a road trip to face Bucknell on Friday (7 p.m.) and Lock Haven (1 p.m.).