PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team continues its Ivy League slate as the Quakers welcome Columbia to Ellen Vagelos Field on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Penn enters a pivotal matchup against 2-1 Columbia, who tied the Quakers for third in last year's final Ivy League standings. The Quakers will then travel to Newark to round out their non-conference schedule against No. 18 Delaware.
This Weekend's Schedule
Friday, Oct. 12
COLUMBIA (6-4), (2-1) at PENN (6-6), (2-1)
Around the Ivy League
Yale (1-2) at Dartmouth (1-2), Saturday at noon
Cornell (0-3) at Harvard (3-0), Saturday at noon
Brown (0-3) at Princeton (0-3), Saturday at noon
Sunday, Oct. 14
PENN (6-6) at No. 18 DELAWARE (6-6)
The Ivy League on ESPN
Penn's game against Columbia, as well as all home field hockey games and Ivy League away games, will be broadcast on ESPN+ as part of The Ivy League's new partnership with ESPN. ESPN+ is a new, subscription-based service that offers monthly ($4.99) and yearly ($49.99) plans. Click here to subscribe to ESPN+ and start your free trial! Click here for frequently asked questions about the Ivy League on ESPN.
Previewing Penn
*Penn has set up one of the toughest schedules in program history, with eight of its 17 games coming against opponents ranked in the current NFHCA Coaches poll. North Carolina (No. 1), Princeton (No. 3), Iowa (No. 8), Syracuse (No. 9), Harvard (No. 11), Saint Joseph's (No. 13), Wake Forest (No. 16) and Delaware (No. 18) have all received votes as of the Oct. 9 edition of the rankings.
*Penn returns seven starters and 17 letter winners from the 2017 squad and welcome nine freshmen to the roster in 2018. Among the returners are two All-Ivy selections: senior Paige Meily and junior Alexa Schneck. Both players are two-time All-Ivy selections.
*Schneck leads the Quakers in all offensive categories. She has 16 points from six goals and four assists this season. She has 13 goals and 10 assists for her career. Schneck has seven career game-winning goals after scoring the winner in a 3-2 2OT victory against Dartmouth.
*Senior Rachel Mirkin has posted her best goal-scoring season with Penn, tallying three goals. Two of those goals were game-winners, in a 1-0 2OT victory over No. 14 Wake Forest and a 2-1 win over Villanova. Mirkin has two career game-winning goals at Penn.
*Penn's team captains this year include Meily, Schneck, and senior Sofia Palacios.
*Meily has three assists this season and ranks second on the team. Meily tallied five assists in her junior year and seven in her sophomore year, a total of 15 for her career. She scored the first goal of her career against Drexel, converting on a penalty stroke.
*Palacios registered her first points of the season, providing the assist to Schneck's game winner against Dartmouth. Palacios has nine goals and six assists in her Penn career.
*Freshman forward Julia Russo scored her first goal for Penn against No. 12 Syracuse. She ranks second on the team with 22 shots.
*Sophomore Erin Kelly scored her third goal of the season and fourth of her career against Lafayette. Kelly ranks second in goals scored and points (7) for the Quakers.
*Junior Ava Rosati established herself as Penn's starting goalkeeper midway through last season. She has three shutouts this season, four in her career, and has made 51 saves over 12 games this season.
Concerning Columbia
Columbia is 6-4 overall and 2-1 in the Ivy League after losing to No. 5 Princeton at home last Friday. The upcoming matchup will be the 23rd meeting between the Quakers and the Lions and will break the teams' 11-11 series tie.
Columbia has won six of the past seven games against Penn. Six of the past eight have been decided in overtime. The Quakers and the Lions finished the 2018 season tied for third place in the Ivy League standings.
Dissecting Delaware
Delaware holds a 6-6 record after defeating James Madison 6-3 on the road. The Blue Hens are ranked No. 18 in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll.
This will be the 28th meeting between Delaware and Penn, with the Blue Hens holding a 18-9 series record over the Quakers. Delaware has won the past three matchups. The past five meetings have been decided by one goal.
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