Oct. 7, 2011
Watch: Dartmouth | Maine
Live Stats: Dartmouth
The No. 19 Boston University field hockey team will hit the road this weekend to face Dartmouth (7-3) on Friday (Oct. 7) and No. 10 Maine (11-1, 1-0 America East) on Sunday (Oct. 9). The Terriers (6-5, 1-0 AE) and the Black Bears each won their league openers last weekend.
The Terriers and Big Green are meeting for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons. BU is 10-1 all-time against Dartmouth with seven straight wins in the series. Friday's game will start at 3 p.m.
All three of Dartmouth's losses this season have come against teams from the America East. The Big Green has won four of their last five contests and is a perfect 3-0 in Ivy League play.
Senior Kelly Hood is pacing the Big Green in both points (24) and goals (10). Junior Lisa Masini is right behind with 19 points on the strength of a team-best 11 assists and freshman Ali Savage has has a strong rookie year thus far with 18 points (8g, 2a).
Senior Meagan Vakiener has started all 10 games in goal and has a 2.53 goals-against average to go along with a .693 save percentage.
After playing in Hanover, the Terriers will head to Maine for Sunday's 3 p.m. match-up with the Black Bears, who are ranked the highest they ever have been.
The Terriers are 25-6 in their 31 all-time meetings with the Black Bears with wins in nine of the last 10 meetings. BU topped Maine, 2-1, in overtime in last year's regular-season finale.
Maine is on a roll with 11 straight victories since dropping its season opener to Northeastern. Each of their last wins have come in overtime, including a 4-3 home win over Albany last Saturday to kick off league play. The Black Bears are tops in the country in scoring average, putting up 5.42 goals per contest.
Senior Kelly Newton is tied for the league lead in points with 38 (10g, 18a). Her 18 assists lead the nation. Classmate Stephanie Gardiner has 30 points, including a team-best 12 goals.
The Black Bears have three goalkeepers who have started at least two games each. Senior Brittany Fleck has played the majority of the time in the Maine cage and boasts a 1.84 goals-against average to go along with a .658 save percentage.
The Terriers will look to put together a two-win weekend after alternating wins and losses in each of their last eight contests. Junior Macey Gaumond leads the squad in points (14) and goals (7) while classmates Jacinda McLeod and Tabi Hatch each have 10 points on four goals and two assists.
The reigning America East Rookie of the Week, goalkeeper Valentina Cerda continues to impress in her freshman season. She leads the nation with an .860 save percentage and her goals-against average of 0.90 ranks fifth.
