GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: September 11, 2021
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LOCATION: Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium
West Haven, Conn. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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THE LEAD
With a pair of tests leading up to it, the New Haven field hockey team opens Northeast-10 play on Saturday afternoon with a matinee against the Saint Michael's Purple Knights on tap to close out a three-game homestand that opened up the 2021 campaign. The NE10 opener is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start with all of the action live on the Chargers Sports Network using the link to the right.
SERIES HISTORY VS SAINT MICHAEL'S
New Haven and Saint meet for the third time in the history of the two programs with this the second battle between the two squads at DellaCamera Stadium. The first meeting came in the Chargers first season as a member of the Northeast-10 with the Purple Knights coming out with a 5-0 shutout. In the most recent meeting, 2019 in Colchester, Vt., the Chargers took home a 2-1 double OT victory thanks to then sophomore Julia Battino (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) scoring the game winner on a penalty stroke.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
Despite the record showing 0-2 overall, New Haven has had a strong start to 2021. In each of the first two games, the Chargers defense held strong against two of the best teams in NCAA Division II in Saint Anselm and Adelphi. In each of those games, the Blue and Gold netted one goal with Alexis Rider (Delran, N.J./Delran) tallying one against Adelphi and Zharria John (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) scoring on a rebound against the No. 3 Hawks. Between the pipes, graduate transfer goalkeeper Keira Integlia (Branford, Conn./Branford) has been a strong force, stopping six shots while her defense also recorded a team-save against Saint Anselm.
SCOUTING THE PURPLE KNIGHTS
Saint Michael's enters West Haven with a 1-2 overall record, however that lone victory came on the road in upset fashion as the Purple Knights went into Manchester, N.H. and knocked off a ranked opponent in No. 9 Southern New Hampshire 5-2 this past Wednesday. In that game it was the Purple Knights keeper, freshman Riley O'Connor, who came up biggest, collecting 14 saves as she faced 16 total shots. On the offensive end it was senior Jenna Puleo who led the team with a part in all five goals, scoring twice and assisting on the other three. Overall for the season, Puleo has played a part in every goal the Purple Knights have scored, with four goals and three assists. O'Connor, the only keeper on the Saint Michael's roster, has 22 total saves on the young season.
THE 2021 SCHEDULE
The New Haven Field Hockey team kicks off its fourth season in the history of the program with seven of its first nine games at home, part of an 18-game schedule that makes up the 2021 campaign. A total of 11 of the Chargers 18 games will come on the home turf at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. Following the regular season, the top eight teams in the conference standings following regular season qualifying for the NE10 Championship, which opens with a quarterfinal match-up on Nov. 2 at the home sites of the four highest seeds. The semifinal and championship matches will also take place at home sites on Nov. 5 and Nov. 7, respectively.
CHARGERS NINTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Entering their fourth season as a varsity program, the New Haven field hockey team has been picked to finish 9th in the 2021 Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Chargers return to the field for the first time since the 2019 campaign when they finished with five victories, all of which came in NE10 action. New Haven finished the preseason voting with 87 points, the most they have earned in the preseason poll, keeping them inside of the top-10 for the first time. Saint Anselm earned the top billing, scoring 11 of the 15 possible first place points for a total of 190 points. Assumption and Adelphi split the remaining first place tallies with Assumption earning 171 points and one first place vote to finish second and Adelphi earning 163 points including three first place votes to finish third overall. Rounding out the top-five was a pair of teams tied for fourth place with 146 points, Stonehill and Southern New Hampshire.
UP NEXT
New Haven will head on the road for the first time in 2021 when they continue NE10 play on Tuesday, September 14 with a visit to Pace University for the first of back-to-back games as they host West Chester just over 24 hours later on Wednesday, September 15. The match against Pace is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start with all of the action available online on NE10 NOW, while live stats will also be available via NewHavenChargers.com.
