BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Field Hockey team earned the No. 2 seed in the Conference of New England (CNE) Tournament, and will begin tournament play on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6:00 pm against the No. 3 seed Western New England Golden Bears.
Roger Williams is 8-12 all-time against Western New England, winning their last three against the Golden Bears. In their last meeting back on Oct. 12, the Hawks came from behind, scoring two goals in the final six minutes of play, to take a 2-1 victory. The two teams met in last season's conference tournament on Bayside Field, where the Hawks took a 2-0 victory to punch their ticket to the title match.
No. 3 Western New England completed their regular season 10-7 on the year, while posting a CNE record of 3-2, falling to RWU and Endicott in their conference losses. Roger Williams went 14-6 during the regular season, with a 4-1 record in CNE play, with their lone loss coming in a 3-2 match against Endicott.
WNE ranks just outside the top 50 in assists per game nationally, while sitting third in the category with 1.65. The Golden Bears rank first in the CNE in penalty corner attempts and 16
th nationally, averaging 10.12 per match.
Individually, Sarah Johnston leads the team in points, goals, and assists with 33 points off 12 goals and nine helpers. Johnston also has a shot-on-goal percentage of .740, the highest amongst WNE players with five or more shots. Haley Kaczka ranks second on the team with 26 points (11g-4a), and Mackenna Cooke ranks third with 16 (6g-4a) through her 16 appearances.
On the defensive end, the Golden Bears have tallied five defensive saves this season, with Kaczka tallying a pair. Analise Trani, Keegan McMahon, and Gamma Kennedy each have one. Zoey Wexler has played a total of 440:45 minutes in net over 10 appearances, and six starts. Wexler has allowed 11 goals, with 39 saves with a save percentage of .780, posting a 4-3 record.
The Hawks rank 11th nationally in scoring average (3.95) and 13
th in goals per game (3.60). RWU also ranks atop the conference in goals against average, and shutouts in the CNE.
The Hawks are led by
Chelsea King (Schenectady, N.Y.) on the offensive end with 50 points (19g-12a), while
Maddy Monahan (Bristol, N.H.) sits second with 34 points (14g-6a), followed by
Elizabeth Duquette (Pittsford, N.Y.) with 22 points (9g-4a). Roger Williams has a total of seven players in double-figure points, with
Hannah Timbrouck (Kingston, N.Y.),
Lauren Costanzo (North Andover, Mass.),
Grace Rocheleau (West Hartford, Conn.), and
Emma Sheldon (Suffield, Conn.) each scoring in double figures.
Three players have recorded a defensive save on the season for RWU, with
Abigail Stevens (Brewster, Mass.) registering five, ranking third in the conference.
Ella Waryas (Foxboro, Mass.) and
Ally Orlofski (Lynnfield, Mass.) each had a defensive save this season. In net,
Jill Haudenshield (Sykesville, Md.) has played a total of 708.42 minutes on the year, with a total of 17 goals allowed with a .770 save percentage. The Hawks goalkeeper has a 12-5 record on the season with four shutouts. Roger Williams has a combined eight for the season as a team, with four being split between keepers.
The winner of the matchup will face off against the winner of No. 4 University of New England at No. 1 Endicott in the CNE Tournament Finals on Saturday, Nov. 9.
