NORFOLK, Va. – After taking down No. 16 Temple and No. 6 UVA, the Old Dominion field hockey team returns to action on Friday, Oct. 24 on the road against BIG EAST opponent Providence.
Live Action
For those unable to make the trip to Providence, the game will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network. You will be directed to use the FOX Sports GO app on your mobile device or tablet. You can also keep up with live stats here.
Weekend Rewind
The Lady Monarchs seemed to hit their stride this past weekend, defeating two top-20 teams. On Friday, ODU knocked off BIG EAST rival and 16th-rank Temple by a score of 3-2. Seniors Katy Fuhrman and Nicole Goff, along with junior Caitlin Walsh each scored for the Lady Monarchs. Walsh also added an assist for ODU. Junior Megan Hept played the entirety in goal stopped five of the Owl’s shots. Against No. 6 UVA, sophomore Megan Byas netted the game-winning goal with just 1:28 left in regulation to secure the 1-0 victory. Hept once again was the Lady Monarchs keeper, finishing the game with two saves. The shutout marked her fourth of the season, which ranks second in the conference.
Series Record vs. Providence
Old Dominion enters the matchup with Providence holding a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to the 1993 season. ODU has outscored the Friars 9-2 in the three matches. Last season in the Lady Monarchs first year in the BIG EAST, they defeated the Friars 2-1 in overtime.
Scouting the Friars
Providence enters the weekend with a 9-7 overall record and a 1-2 conference mark after falling to No. 4 Connecticut, 7-1. Providence trailed by just one goal at halftime to the Huskies, but the Huskies tallied four goals in the final 10 minutes to take a convincing 7-1 victory. Connecticut completed the match with a 21-8 advantage in shots and a 7-3 edge in penalty corners. The Huskies out-shot the Friars 15-3 in the decisive second half.
Daniella Bernasconi leads the Friars’ offense with 28 points on 12 goals and four assists. Megan Hamilton (12g, 3a, 27 pts.) and Steph Guglielmo (10g, 5a, 25 pts.) are ranked second and third, respectively. Deidra Clymer has played the majority of minutes in goal for Providence and has recorded a 2.21 goals-against average and stopped 56 shots. She has also posted one shutout on the year.
BIG EAST Player of the Week Honor Roll
Sophomore Megan Byas proved to be a double threat last week, providing both offense and defense to the Monarchs in their 2-0 week against nationally ranked teams. The sophomore assisted on the game-winning goal against Temple on Friday before scoring the game-winner against No. 6 Virginia on Sunday, while helping the ODU defense limit the Owls to 10 shots and the Cavaliers to eight.
Did You Know?
With ODU’s win over No. 16 Temple, the Lady Monarchs extended their winning streak over the Owls to 20-consecutive games. ODU’s only loss to Temple came in the 1982 season. Overall, the Lady Monarchs have outscored the Owls 109-16.
ODU Countdown
10- Rosario Villagra leads the team and is second in the conference with 10 assists
9- ODU’s schedule features nine games against ranked opponents
8- Kelsey Smither has recorded eight points on one goal and six assists
7- Sarah Breen, Katy Fuhrman and Rosario Villagra have each tallied seven goals this season, which leads the team and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST
6- The ODU defense has only allowed six goals in BIG EAST play
5- Rosario Villagra ranks fifth in the conference with 1.60 points per game
4- ODU has posted four shutouts this season, which ranks second in the conference
3- ODU ranks third in the conference with 101 penalty corners (6.73 per game)
2- Megan Hept ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 1.48 goals-against average
1- The Lady Monarchs will take on No. 1 UNC at home on Nov. 2 to conclude the regular season
Up Next for the Lady Monarchs
The Lady Monarchs will continue conference play next Friday when they travel to Georgetown for a 12:00 p.m. matchup. Last season, the Lady Monarchs defeated the Hoyas by a score of 7-0. ODU will close out the regular season with a battle in Norfolk with No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
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