No. 24 Field Hockey Hosts American on Sunday in PL Title Game

Sunday, November 4

Boston, MA

12 PM

Boston University

American (PL Final)

2018 Patriot League Championship Preview

No. 24 Field Hockey Hosts American on Sunday in PL Title Game

November 3, 2018 | Field Hockey

Watch on PLN Live Stats

2018 Patriot League Field Hockey Championship
Date & Time	Sunday, Nov. 4 #1 Boston University vs. #2 American - 12 p.m. FREE ADMISSION
Venue	New Balance Field \| Boston, Mass.
Watch	Patriot League Network
Live Stats	GoTerriers.com
Twitter	@BUGameDay \| @TerrierFH

BOSTON - Attempting to defend its 2017 crown and win a fourth Patriot League title in five years, the No. 24 Boston University field hockey team will host American in the 2018 Patriot League championship game on Sunday (Nov. 3) at New Balance Field. Game time is set for noon.

Admission for Sunday's title game is free and fans in attendance can enjoy free pizza and various Patriot League giveaways.

The Terriers (11-7) and Eagles (9-8) are meeting the in the league tournament for the fifth time in six years and the teams have each won two of the previous four postseason match-ups. This is the fourth time the rivals will meet with the PL title on the line with the Eagles coming out on top in 2013 and 2016 and the Terriers hoisting the trophy in 2015.

In Friday's semifinal round, BU edged fourth-seeded Lafayette, 2-1, before second-seeded American scored the lone goal its 1-0 triumph over third-seeded Bucknell. BU has now reached the Patriot League title game in all six seasons since joining the conference in 2013.

Both BU goals against the Leopards came from the stick of sophomore Petra Hall, who recorded her fifth game-winning goal of the season when she broke a 1-1 tie in the 64th minute. The Eagles got their decisive tally in the 51st minute on a goal from freshman Aidan Rossman.

When BU and American met in the regular season in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15, it was Hall who provided the heroics, scoring in the seventh minute of overtime to lift the Terriers to a 2-1 victory. The Terriers are now 11-3 in 14 all-time meetings with American.

Sunday's tilt will feature a pair of two-time major Patriot League award winners as American senior Rafaela Rubas and BU senior Ally Hammel have been the PL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in each of the past two seasons.

Rubas was joined on this year's All-PL First Team by sophomore Noor Coenen and classmate Maura Jacobs, who was the PL Goalkeeper of the Year and the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Seniors Megan Benson and Rachel Stefano were both named to the All-PL Second Team.

Coenen leads the Eagles in points (24) and goals (9) while Rubas has 19 points on six goals and seven assists. Senior back Annaka Groschinski has added 14 points on a trio of goals and a team-best eight assists.

Jacobs leads all PL netminders in goals-against average at 1.56 and also sports a strong .730 save percentage.

The sophomore duo of Hall (8g, 3a) and Ailsa Connolly (8g, 4a) has provided 39 points for the Terrier offense this season. Hammel has added 17 points on six goals and five assists while fellow senior Kara Enoch is fourth on the squad in both points (12) and goals (5).

Senior goalkeeper Kathleen Keegan, who has started all 18 games this season, came up with two huge stops in Friday's semifinal victory and enters Sunday with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .609 save percentage.