PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team is primed for the start of Ivy League play this weekend when they host Cornell on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Ellen Vagelos Field. They'll return to action just a day later when they make the trek to take on No. 22 American in Washington, D.C. for a 1 p.m. start.
 
GAME INFORMATION
CORNELL (5-1) at PENN (2-4)
Sat., September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Ellen Vagelos Field | Live Stats – Ivy League Network

PENN (2-4) at No. 22 AMERICAN (6-2)
Sun., September 24 | 1 p.m. | Washington, D.C. | Live Stats – Live Video

NEWS AND NOTES: CORNELL
*Penn and Cornell are set for their 42nd all-time matchup Saturday for the beginning of the 2017 Ivy League season. The Quakers come into the contest with a 22-14-2 all-time margin against the Big Red and have won the last two matchups in 2015 and 2016. Penn's winning streak also extends back to 2011 in home contests when hosting Cornell.  

*Cornell comes into the contest atop the conference standings with a 5-1 overall record. They've outscored their opponents by a 9-4 margin on the season and their only loss on the year comes via the hands of Rutgers by one goal (L, 2-1).

NEWS AND NOTES: AMERICAN
*The Quakers and Eagles meet for just the second time in program history this Sunday in Washington, D.C. American comes into the contest ranked 22^nd  in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll with a 6-2 overall record and 1-0 mark in Patriot League games. As a team, they rank seventh overall in goals per game (3.5) and eighth in scoring average (3.41) in the country. American also boasts one of the top defenses in the nation, ranking fifth in shutouts.

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. Delaware (#5), Syracuse (#6), North Carolina (#7), Harvard (#16), Princeton (#17), Iowa (#19), American (#22), and Rutgers (#23) have all received votes as of the Sept. 19 edition of the rankings.
 
*The NCAA released their first RPI standings of the season earlier this week and the Ivy League is well represented as one of the best conference in the country. The Quakers clock in at No. 44 just behind Princeton (18), Cornell (20), and Columbia (38) in the top half of the conference.
 
*Senior Alexa Hoover comes into the weekend as the team leading scorer with five goals and one assist for 11 points. Her 0.83 goals per game rank 28^th in the NCAA while her 1.83 points per game place 40^th.
 
*Several freshmen have seen significant game action in the beginning of their careers. Reese Vogel and Erin Quinn have cracked the starting lineup while six have seen game action through six contests.  
 
*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!

*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 83 goals and 35 assists