PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team stays within the city limits once again this weekend. On Friday, the Quakers make the short trek to Drexel for the Battle of 33^rd Street and follow that contest with a noon showdown against Iowa on Sunday on Ellen Vagelos Field.
 
GAME INFORMATION
PENN (1-3) at DREXEL (3-3) – Philadelphia Field Hockey Night
Fri., September 15 | 7:00 p.m. | Ellen Vagelos Field | Live Stats - Video

#19 IOWA (3-4) at PENN (1-3)
Sun., September 17 | 12 p.m. | Ellen Vagelos Field | Live Stats - Ivy League Network

NEWS AND NOTES: DREXEL
*Penn and Delaware are set for their 15th all-time matchup Friday after renewing their rivalry during the 2015 season. The Quakers hold an 8-6 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last two outings by a combined 7-2 scoring margin.

*Drexel comes into the contest with a 3-3 overall record and with the 55^th toughest schedule according to NCAA rankings as of Sept. 4. They've posted wins over Richmond, Rider, and Brown while losses have come at the hands of VC, Saint Joseph's, and Lafayette.

NEWS AND NOTES: IOWA
*The Quakers and Hawkeyes meet for their first-ever matchup this Sunday at Ellen Vagelos Field. Iowa comes into the contest ranked 19^th in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll with a 3-4 overall record while sophomore Katie Birch ranks third in the NCAA in goals per game (1.29) and 6^th in assists (2.71).

PREVIEWING PENN
*Penn has set up one of their toughest schedules in program history for the 2017 slate that includes eight of their 17 matches against teams ranked in the top-25 of the NFHCA Coaches poll. Syracuse (#3), Delaware (#6), North Carolina (#7), Princeton (#15), Harvard (#17), Iowa (#19), American (#22), and Rutgers (#24) have all received votes as of the Sept. 12 edition of the rankings.
 
*Along those lines, the Quakers currently have the fourth-toughest schedule according to the NCAA as of Sept. 5 as well as the seventh-best attendance average.
 
*The Red and Blue have a bevy of home games for fans to attend this season with 10 matches slated to take place at Ellen Vagelos Field. Several marketing events were announced in conjunction with the Quakers home games this season and as always, admission to Penn Field Hockey games is FREE! Can't make it to Vagelos Field? Buy a subscription to the Ivy League Network today!

*Senior Alexa Hoover leads the Red and Blue with three goals and one assist for seven points on the season. She tallied all three of Penn's scores last weekend against Delaware and Villanova while classmate Rachel Huang has also gotten on the board with one goal on the year.

*The Quakers return nine starters and 15 letterwinners from the 2016 squad and welcome seven freshmen to the roster in 2017. Additionally, three All-Ivy honorees are set to return to the pitch: senior Alexa Hoover (First Team), junior Paige Meily (Second Team), and sophomore Alexa Schneck (Second Team). Hoover and Schneck received NFHCA All-Region accolades while Hoover was also chosen as a Second Team All-American following a year where she became Penn's all-time leader in goals and points.

*Penn announced that a trio of seniors have been selected to captain the squad for the 2017 season: Alexa Hoover, Rachel Huang, and Jasmine Li. The Red and Blue senior class made up of Gina Guccione, Alexa Hoover, Jasmine Li, Rachel Huang, and Liz Mata have combined for a total of 80 goals and 34 assists