TOWSON, Md. — The Towson University field hockey team is set to host its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) home games of the fall this upcoming weekend. The Tigers will welcome James Madison on Friday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. in addition to William & Mary on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m.
RECORDS
Towson (2-8, 0-2)
James Madison (6-4, 2-0)
William & Mary (2-6, 2-0)
Last Time Out
Towson dropped contests against both Drexel (4-1) and No. 21 Delaware (5-0) to kick off CAA play last weekend.
The Dragons scored three goals in the opening quarter before Jenna Florenzo found the back of the net for her first score of the season in the second. Drexel added one more goal in the third period to solidify the win. Florenzo, Gianna Antone, Kasey Bubel and Kathryn Parkinson all put shots on goal throughout the contest.
The then No. 23-ranked Blue Hens' offense dominating, scoring in three out of four quarters. Delaware took a total of 10 shots, putting eight on goal in addition to nine penalty corners. Towson did generate some chances throughout the game, but couldn't convert.
In The Rankings
With nine defensive saves, Bubel paces both the conference and the NCAA in the stat. Paige Reese also currently sits at third in the league and is tied for sixth in the nation with three stops.
Vandam continues to remain a steady force for the Towson defense, leading the CAA with 102 total saves. She is the only keeper in the league to crack triple digits and leads her closest opposition by 31 stops. The graduate student's .785 save percentage bests the conference and ranks 12th in the nation. Over 11 games, the Vandam is averaging 9.27 saves per game to lead the league and rank second in the NCAA. With two shutouts, she is third in the category in the CAA.
Scouting The Dukes
James Madison currently sits atop the CAA, along with William & Mary, with a perfect 2-0 conference record. The Dukes defeated Northeastern, 3-2, and Hofstra, 5-1, last weekend to earn the mark. Three of the team's four losses in its very tough schedule have come against ranked opponents (No. 18 Old Dominion, No. 14 Wake Forest and No. 17 Duke).
Eveline Zwager paces the CAA with 20 total points through 10 games. The junior has registered eight goals, four assists and 22 shots on goal. She has also scored three game-winning goals for her team. Dukes' goalkeeper Florien Marcussen leads the league in both goals against average (1.751) and shutouts (2). She has allowed just 15 goals while making 22 saves through 10 contests.
Looking into The Tribe
William & Mary is also coming off big wins against the Huskies (4-3) and the Pride (3-2, SO) for its only two victories of the season. Similar to James Madison, the Tribe stacked their schedule with ranked opponents, accounting for four of their six losses (No. 16 Penn State, No. 8 Virginia, No. 12 Liberty and No. 18 Duke).
Lauren Curran leads her squad with four goals and one assist for 14 points. Goalkeepers Kimi Jones and Maddie George have split time throughout the fall. George has the very slight edge, accumulating 19 saves on 54 shots while allowing 11 goals. She owns a 2-2 record in goal.
