University of Delaware Athletics
Field Hockey Returns to Rullo to Host Columbia Sunday; 2004 CAA Champion Blue Hens Honored Pregame
10/18/2014 1:00:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware field hockey team returns home Sunday following four games on the road to host Columbia in a non-conference showdown at Fred P. Rullo Stadium.
Prior to the game, the Blue Hens will honor the 10-year anniversary of the UD squad that won the Colonial Athletic Association Championship in 2004.
Delaware completed the 2004 season with a 15-7 record before winning the first CAA title in any sport in school history. Among those that will be in attendance include Amber Deimler, Amanda Warrington DiStefano, Katie Evans, Lindsay Heppner, Sarah Mills Keever and Stephanie Swain.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for Sunday's game will be available through www.BlueHens.com.
ONLINE
Follow Delaware field hockey online at facebook.com/DelawareFieldHockey and on Twitter at @DelawareFH.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blue Hens (9-5, 3-0 CAA) came from behind for a 2-1 victory last Sunday at Towson in CAA action. Sophomore Esmée Peet (Zeewolde, The Netherlands/RSG Slingerbos) tied the game in the 16th minute off a penalty corner. Classmate Marjelle Scheffers (Amersfoort, The Netherlands/Stedelijk Gymnasium Johan van Oldenbarneveld) recorded her first career game-winning goal in the 50th minute off a rebounded corner shot.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
· Delaware has won a season-best five straight games.
· Sophomore Esmée Peet was named the CAA Co-Player of the Week after recording an exciting game-winning goal in double overtime at Princeton on Oct. 10. Peet finished the weekend with a total of two goals and one assist.
· Peet leads the team with 21 points on a team-best nine goals and three assists.
· Junior Allie Mikelson (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) is currently ranked first nationally with nine defensive saves, the most in school history.
· As a team, the Blue Hens are tied for first in the NCAA with 11 defensive saves through 14 games played, the most since 2000 when UD recorded 12 in 20 games.
· Freshman Emmeline Oltmans (Baarn, The Netherlands/Het Baarnsch Lyceum) returned to the cage last weekend after missing three games with a knee injury. In 11 games this season, Oltmans is 6-5 with 48 saves and 2.33 goals allowed per game.
· Junior Michaela Patzner (Rosenheim, Germany/Karolinen Gymnasium) is second on the team with 19 points on six goals and seven assists. She continues to climb in the Blue Hens record books and has 76 career points (29g, 18a), which is good for 13th place in UD history. Jodi Byrd (1995-98) is 12th in the program record books with 79 career points on 35 goals and nine assists.
· Marybeth Freeman (Old Dominion '02) is in her fifth season in charge of the Lions' field hockey program and holds an overall record of 42-38 at Columbia. Prior to becoming the Lions' head coach in 2010, Freeman spent seven seasons at Maryland under legendary coach and Delaware alumna Missy Meharg.
ABOUT COLUMBIA
Prior to Saturday's game at Penn, Columbia is 8-4 on the season and has won four of its last five games, including back-to-back victories versus Towson and Massachusetts. The Lions have three players with at least 20 points on the season with senior Zoe Blake leading the way with 25 points on a team-best 11 goals and three assists. Junior Christina Freibott, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week, tops the conference with 18 total assists and her 1.40 average per game is also first in the NCAA. Sophomore Katie Ruesterholz has also collected 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Junior Kimberly Pianucci guides the Lions in the cage with 45 saves and 2.28 goals allowed in 11 games played while sophomore Kendall Kuntz made her first career start against UMass and has collected nine total saves on the year.
