TOWSON, Md. – After opening the 2022 season with three of four games on the road, the Towson University field hockey team begins a three-game homestand. This weekend, E.A. Jackson's squad will host Rider on Friday, Sept. 9 (4 p.m.) and Ohio on Sunday, Sept. 11 (12 p.m.).

Both games will be streamed on FloSports. Live stats will be available on TowsonTigers.com.

The Tigers (1-3) welcome Brown next Friday, Sept. 16. Eight of next 10 games will be at the TU Field Hockey complex, including five straight to begin October.

Rider has won two of three games this season. The Broncos have victories over Bellarmine (4-1) and Colgate (5-1) and a double overtime loss to Appalachian State. 

Ohio is undefeated after three games. The Bobcats have defeated the University of California (3-1), Central Michigan (5-2) and Davidson (1-0).

VETERAN LEADERSHIP
The 2022 team features six seniors who have been fixtures in the lineup since arriving on campus in September 2019. After four games this season, the six have combined to start 187 games.

Midfielder Georgia Beachley and defender Hannah McKeon have each started 45 games while Samantha Aljets and Mackenzie Tillman have 29 career starts. Hannah King (20 starts) and Gianna Antone (19) have also seen significant playing time.

MOVING ON UP
Georgia Beachley scored goals in first three games of the season and now has 17 career tallies, which ranks in the Top 10 in program history. She is currently tied for 9^th place with Colleen Cahill (1986-89) and Mariah Schuette (2007-09). Beachley trails Christina Boarman (46), Julie Lambi (44), Ashley Bacon (27), Kajee Murangi (27), Lisa McCullen (26), Katie DeFilippo (25), Lauren Volk (21) and Joann Engestrom (19).

HOME SWEET HOME
When Towson beat Longwood in overtime in the home opener on Sept. 2, it was the first home opening victory since the Tigers defeated Penn in 2011.
 
C. MILTON WRIGHT CONNECTION
Three of Towson's top players hail from nearby C. Milton Wright High School in Bel Air, Md. Seniors Georgia Beachley and Samantha Aljets as well as junior Annie Keele played for the Mustangs. In 2017 and 2018, C.M. Wright went 38-3 capturing the 2018 Maryland 3A State Championship and were runners-up in 2017. In Keele's senior season (2019), the team advanced to the regional championship. Former Towson field hockey player Katie Mattingly coaches C. Milton Wright.
Beachley, last year's leading scorer, and Aljets, the top point producer on the 2019 and spring 2021 teams, have been teammates since elementary school and have player together for more than a decade, including eight years with the H2O club program.

SMALL WORLD
Greg Hatfield, the father of forward Sarah Hatfield, coached Towson University football player D'Ago Hunter at Eastern View High School in Culpepper, Virginia. Under Hatfield's tutelage, Hunter was a two-time All-State kick returner. Hatfield went 109-36 in 13 years at Eastern View before moving to Battlefield High School, where he is now in his third season as head coach.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Two of the seven freshmen head coach E.A. Jackson brought in this year are from the Netherlands: defensive midfielder Hedwig Veldhuizen and goalkeeper Tessa Scheenstra, bringing the total over international players to three. Sophomore Cate Cook is a native of South Africa.

Towson's 23-person roster features players from six states: Maryland (10), Pennsylvania (3), Virginia (3), Delaware (2), New Jersey (1) and Kentucky (1).

THE MILLER SISTERS…NOT
Although Lydia Miller and Paige Miller are both from Mount Joy, Pennsylvania and attended Donegal High School, the two are not related. Lydia Miller's grandfather, Bob Robertson played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. In 1971, he hit 26 home runs and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series.