University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Welcome Kent State to Fred P. Rullo Stadium Wednesday for NCAA Play-In Game
11/11/2014 3:06:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEWARK, Del. – For the second consecutive season, the University of Delaware field hockey team will host a NCAA Tournament Play-In Game as the Blue Hens welcome Kent State University to Fred P. Rullo Stadium Wednesday for a 2 p.m. matchup.
The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to play the reigning national champion and No. 3 seed Connecticut (16-3) Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Storrs, Conn.
Delaware (13-8) advanced to NCAA Tournament play after defeating James Madison, 2-1, Sunday in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship final. Last season, the CAA Champion Hens picked up a 1-0 win over Liberty at home to move on to NCAA Tournament action.
Kent State is 10-10 on the year and coming off a 2-0 victory over Ohio to claim the Mid-American Conference Championship.
ADMISSION
General admission for the 2014 NCAA Play-In Game at Fred P. Rullo Stadium is $5 for adults and $3 for youth (18 and younger) each day. All participating institution's student admission is $3 with a valid student ID.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for Wednesday's game will be available via www.BlueHens.com.
LIVE STREAMING
Video/audio for Wednesday's game will be available, for free, via Hens All-Access on www.BlueHens.com.
ONLINE
Follow Delaware field hockey online at facebook.com/DelawareFieldHockey and on Twitter at @DelawareFH.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blue Hens clinched their second consecutive CAA Championship with a 2-1 victory over James Madison Sunday afternoon. No. 2 Delaware took a 1-0 advantage early over No. 4 JMU as sophomore Esmée Peet (Zeewolde, The Netherlands/RSG Slingerbos) notched her 11th goal of the season in the 15th minute off a penalty corner. The Dukes tied things in the 23rd minute, but the Hens struck early in the second period as junior Michaela Patzner (Rosenheim, Germany/Karolinen Gymnasium) posted the game-winning goal in the 39th minute.
· The Blue Hens have reached the 13-win mark for the 17th time in program history and sixth since 2001.
· UD is 8-3 in games decided by just one goal this season.
· Michaela Patzner (Rosenheim, Germany/Karolinen Gymnasium) continues to lead the Hens with 33 points on 12 goals and a team-best nine assists. The junior is 10th all-time in the career record books with 91 points (35g, 20a). Melissa Hefner (1993-96) is in ninth place with 94 career points on 43 goals and eight assists.
· Patzner's 35 career goals ties her for 10th all-time with Jodi Byrd (1995-98) while Patzner is tied for seventh in school history alongside current assistant coach Missy Woodie (2007-10) and Rachel Barger (1996-99) with 20 career assists.
· Patzner's nine assists this season is also good to tie for eighth with Sue Daddona (1994) and Sue Samuel (1980) in single-season history.
· Junior Allie Mikelson (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) is currently ranked second nationally with a school-record 10 defensive saves.
· As a team, the Blue Hens are fourth in the NCAA with 12 defensive saves, the most for the program since 2000.
· The Blue Hens have had 12 players tally at least one point this season.
· Freshman Emmeline Oltmans (Baarn, The Netherlands/Het Baarnsch Lyceum) has seen action in 1266:58 minutes this season and tallied 69 saves (.639) with 2.15 goals allowed per game.
SERIES INFORMATION
· Delaware leads the all-time series against Kent State, 1-0, with the lone game resulting in a 3-2 win for the #rv Blue Hens on Aug. 26, 2007 at a neutral site game at Ohio State.
· The two squads have common opponents in Richmond, Temple, James Madison and Drexel this season.
· The Golden Flashes lost all four matches against the common opponents while UD split with wins against James Madison (twice) and Richmond.
· Now in her ninth season as the head coach at Kent State, Kathleen Wiler has led the Golden Flashes to a 98-91 (.519) career record, a mark good to tie for second all-time in career wins at the school.
ABOUT KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes are 10-10 on the year and have won five of their last seven games, including victories over Miami (Ohio) and Ohio to capture their third MAC Tournament title in the past decade. Although KSU has made eight NCAA postseason appearances, the team has yet to win a NCAA Tournament game. Their last appearance came in 2010. Kent State swept the most prestigious individual postseason awards for the past year as Hannah Faulkner was named the MAC Player of the Year and Ines Delpech earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors. Julia Hofmann joined Faulkner on the All-MAC First Team list while Madison Thompson, Alayna Harris and Delpech were named Second Team honorees. Faulkner leads the team with 46 points on a team-best 19 goals and eight assists while Hofmann has registered a double double of 10 points and a team-high 10 assists for 30 points. Sophomore goalie Andrea Rinehart has appeared in all 1414:03 minutes for the Golden Flashes and averages 2.33 goals allowed per game while tallying 106 total saves at a clip of .693.
