TOWSON, Md. – This weekend the Towson University field hockey team holds down the fort as the lone team on campus for a pair of games.
 
The Tigers host Rider on Friday, Sept. 27 at 3 p.m. and Bucknell on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at the TU Field Hockey Complex. The Towson Sports Network will have free streaming with Brandon Sacks on the call and former Tiger field hockey player Katie McNeel on color. Live stats will also be available, all links for streaming can be found on the team's schedule page on TowsonTigers.com.
 
Scouting the Tigers
Towson (1-6) is led by sophomore Kathryn Parkinson with three goals. Freshmen Samantha Aljets and Georgia Beachley are tied for second on the team with two goals apiece. Aljets leads the crew in assists with five, putting her third in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in assists and 17th nationally in assists per game with 0.71. Sophomore Kasey Bubel is holding it down on the defensive line with two defensive saves this season, she is second in the CAA for defensive saves. Freshman goalkeeper Tess Okkerse ranks third in the league and 18th across the NCAA in saves per game with 5.71. The Gouda, Netherlands native has played 368 minutes in the goal with 40 saves thus far.
 
Last Time Out
The Tigers are coming off a 3-2 loss at LIU over the weekend. Samantha Aljets and Mackenzie Tillman both scored once for the road team and took a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Sharks tacked on three unanswered goals in the second half. Towson set up for several penalty corners in the final few minutes, including four as regulation time was ticking down. LIU was able to clear out the final insert and seal the win.
 
Scouting the Broncs
Rider (4-2) comes to town after two straight wins. The Broncs most recently defeated Colgate 5-1 and Villanova 4-3 in overtime. Leading the charge is sophomore midfielder Julia Divorra with six goals and two assists. Sophomore forward Carly Brosious leads Rider in assists with five. Junior Lena Vandam is the Broncs' goalkeeper, she has 35 saves on the year and has allowed eight goals through six games.

The Rider Series
Friday will be the 24th meeting between the Tigers and Broncs. Rider leads the series with 18 wins, Towson has four victories and the teams have drawn once. The last meeting took place at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium in 2018 where the Broncs took a 2-0 win.
 
Scouting the Bison
Bucknell (4-3) will play a conference game on Friday at American before coming to Towson on Sunday. The Bison have faced two ranked opponents this season, most recently defeating then-No. 25 Boston University on Sept. 21. Bucknell has two players with three goals each in Brittany Willwerth and Maddie Rehak. Willwerth leads the team in points with seven from her three goals and single assist. Olivia Harris is the Bison goalkeeper, with 41 saves this season and 11 goals allowed. Harris is 13th nationally in save percentage with .788.

The Bucknell Series
Sunday will be the 31st meeting between these two squads. It will also be the first time these teams have face each other since 2012. The Tigers trail in the series 10-20 and their last win came in 2008. Bucknell has won four of the last five meetings including a 6-0 shutout in Lewisburg in 2012.
 
Home Again, Home Again
After this weekend, the Tigers have one away game before returning home for a five-game homestand. Next Thursday Towson is playing Miami (OH) in Houston, Texas to mark the first NCAA Division I field hockey game played in the state of Texas. To cap next week, the Tigers are home next Sunday and remain playing at the TU Field Hockey Complex for the four following games.
 
CAA Not Far Away
Four games stand between Towson and conference play. On Friday, Oct. 11 the Tigers host Northeastern. Currently the Huskies lead the nation in points per game and total scoring. Northeastern is second in the CAA entering this week while No. 12 Delaware leads the conference.

Tigers in the Community
The Towson University athletics department deems community service as one of its highest priorities to give back to the Greater Baltimore area. For the seventh consecutive year, the department exceeded 10,000 hours of community service to the Greater Baltimore region, finishing with 11,162 hours of community service in the 2018-19 academic season. Towson ranked No. 1 nationally for community service and won the 2018 National Championship for Community Service through the Helper Helper NCAA Team Works Competition. Towson had a 97% participation rate, attended 118 community service opportunities and volunteered with 19 organizations. Towson won the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from Susan G. Komen of Maryland.