University of Delaware Athletics
No. 18 Delaware Returns to Rullo Stadium for Home-Opening Weekend Against Richmond and No. 2 North Carolina
9/4/2014 2:17:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEWARK, Del. – After opening the season on the road last weekend with a record of 2-1, the University of Delaware field hockey squad returns to Rullo Stadium this Friday and Sunday for matchups against Richmond and No. 2 North Carolina.
ADMISSION
Admission is free and open to the public for all home Delaware field hockey games held at Rullo Stadium.
PARKING
Fans are reminded to follow all signs and parking maps for Rullo Stadium events. DUE TO FOOTBALL GAME, SUNDAY PARKING WILL BE AT THE "STAR" CAMPUS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM DELAWARE FIELD HOUSE.
FRIDAY PROMOTIONS
A promotional poster will be available to the first 200 fans in attendance to Friday's game against Richmond. Gates open at 6 p.m.
SUNDAY PROMOTIONS
Sunday's contest versus UNC will feature a pregame rally towel giveaway to the first 300 fans. YoUDee will also be on hand to hang out with fans during pregame before cheering on the Blue Hens. Gates open at 11 a.m.
LIVE STREAM
Both games this weekend will be live streamed, for free, via Hens All-Access on www.BlueHens.com. Kyle Coulter (play-by-play) and Emily Arnot (color) will have the call. Full rebroadcasts of the games will be available on Delaware's YouTube page within 24 hours of completion of the contests.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for this weekend's contests will be available via BlueHens.com.
ONLINE
Follow Delaware field hockey online at facebook.com/DelawareFieldHockey and on Twitter at @DelawareFH.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
· Freshman Emmeline Oltmans was honored as the CAA Rookie of the Week Tuesday after allowing just seven goals (2.30 GAA) with nine saves (.562 save percentage) in a total of 212:43 minutes played over three games.
· Sophomore Esmée Peet leads the Hens with four points off two goals while classmate Meghan Winesett and junior Michaela Patzner have each posted one goal and one assist on the year.
· Senior Rebecca Pepper will celebrate her 23rd birthday this Saturday.
· Delaware was ranked No. 18 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Poll. The last time the Hens were featured in the preseason poll came in 2010 when UD received votes in the rankings. UD finished the 2013 campaign ranked No. 14 in the country.
· Monday's overtime victory versus Cal was the first for the Blue Hens in OT since 2010.
SERIES INFORMATION
· The Blue Hens have held success against Richmond with a 3-1 all-time record over the Spiders dating to the 1997 season. In the last meeting, Delaware shutout Richmond, 1-0, on Sept. 1, 2007 on the road.
· The Tar Heels have won five straight over UD as the Hens trail UNC in series history, 5-1. Delaware's lone win came in a 3-1 victory at home in 1981. The two teams have met in each of the last three seasons with the No. 3 Heels defeating No. 14 UD, 6-2, last November in the NCAA Tournament.
· Richmond's Gina Lucido (Ball State '94) is in her eighth season as the head coach of the Spiders in 2014, having led the team to three Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championships, two A-10 Tournament Championships and two NCAA Tournament berths.
· One of the most prominent names in the NCAA field hockey coaching ranks, Karen Shelton (West Chester '79) is in her 34th season as the head coach for the Tar Heels. Shelton ranks third in NCAA history for career wins with a mark of 570-146-9
ABOUT RICHMOND
The Spiders are coming off a 14-7 season in 2013, including a 6-1 mark in the Atlantic-10. The 2013 defense was one of the best in the nation as Richmond finished the season leading the NCAA in goals against average (0.86) and save percentage (.819). Richmond has begun the 2014 campaign with an unblemished 2-0 record with wins coming over No. 19 American and William & Mary. Allison Siegel leads the team with four points off of two goals while three different players have each tallied one goal and one assist on the young season. Kelley Wentling has registered six saves with two goals allowed in between the pipes for the Spiders.
ABOUT NO. 2 NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels finished 18-6 last season, reaching the NCAA semifinal game before falling to eventual-champion Connecticut in double overtime and penalty shots. Now ranked No. 2 to begin the season, North Carolina is 2-0 on the season with wins over No. 17 Michigan and No. 20 Iowa in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Loren Shealy leads the team with six points on two goals and two assists while Shannon Johnson has tallied 105 minutes in goal with four saves and one goal allowed.
