PHILADELPHIA — The Towson University field hockey team is set for its final pair of road nonconference matches this weekend. The Tigers will travel to Philadelphia to take on La Salle, Friday at 3 p.m. and Penn on Sunday at 11 a.m.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SPECTATORS: Those planning to attend the Tigers' game at Penn on Sunday morning must attest to being vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a mask at all times. For more information on Penn's policy for spectators, click here. To fill out the Fan Attestation Form – available after midnight on the date of the game – click here. The form will be available to fill out on Sunday, Sept. 19 at midnight.
Last time out
Last weekend, the Tigers went 0-2, first falling to Cal 1-4, before dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Rider.
Hannah King scored her first career goal against the Bears to mark the team's loan score of the contest. Kasey Bubel and Paige Reese each registered one defensive save during the game. Goalkeeper Lena Vandam continued her impressive play, registering 11 saves.
Against the Broncos, the Tigers led for the entire first half before falling in the seventh minute of overtime. Gianna Antone earned one score and assist, respectively, in addition to a goal from Georgia Beachley. The defense continued their strong play with a defensive save from Reese and 10 saves from Vandam.
In The Rankings
Towson currently has three student-athletes that sit in the top-five of the Colonial Athletic Association defensive save rankings. After leading the conference for almost all of the spring, Bubel is still on top with four total stops. Reese sits in third with three defensive saves and Beira Ho is in fifth with two stops.
Vandam currently leads the league with an outstanding 66 total saves. The graduate student also leads both the CAA and NCAA with 13.20 saves per game.
Where are you from?
The Tigers' roster boasts representation from six different states and two countries. While 15 student-athletes call Maryland home, Pennsylvania (5), Virginia (5), New Jersey (3), Delaware (1) and New York (1) are also represented. Vandam (Belgium) and freshman Cate Cook (South Africa) bring some international flair to the team.
Exploring the Explorers
La Salle is coming off a pair of wins against both Lehigh (4-3) and Wagner (1-0) over last weekend. The Explorers are currently 4-2 on the fall.
Sofia Pla leads the Explorers with six goals so far, including two against both Merrimack and Bryant earlier in the season. She also has a team-high 21 shots on goal and 13 points.
In net, Ryan Curley has played all the team's minutes, accumulating 48 saves on 97 shots faced.
The Tigers are 21-9 all-time against the Explorers and have won the last two meetings.
Scouting the Quakers
Penn is also coming off a weekend sweep, defeating Drexel, 5-3, and Villanova, 2-0. Earlier in the season, the Quakers suffered losses to both No. 5 Louisville (1-3) and No. 1 UNC (1-9) to bring the team to their current of 2-2 record.
Gracyn Banks and Allison Kuzyk lead their squad with two goals apiece. In addition, Banks has five points to top the team and an assist.
Goalkeeper Sabien Paumen has played the majority of the season in net for Penn, accumulating 18 saves on 52 shots faced.
The Tigers and Quakers have only met two other times, each winning one contest. Sunday morning, Towson will join Penn in celebrating its Believe in Brynn game. The game is to honor Brynn Clare, a 10-year-old girl that battles Rett Syndrome.
Family Connections
Head Coach EA Jackson's oldest daughter, Maddie Fagan, is currently a senior on the Penn field hockey team. Fagan serves as one of the team's captains and has been an integral part of the team's success over the past three years.
Although the team did not compete in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, the forward made 14 starts and ranked second on the team with 13 points and five goals. She had two multi-goal games to aid in wins over Dartmouth and Cornell.
Originally from Charlottesville, along with Jackson, Fagan spent three years at the Covenant School before moving to Towson High School for her senior year. At Towson, she was voted team MVP as well as Baltimore County Public School All-Division Team and Baltimore County All-Star after recording 17 goals and 10 assists.
