Lafayette Appears In National Stats

We are twenty percent into the 2015 season and the Leopards are starting to make a mark in the NCAA division one statistics. First they are 3-1. According to fieldhockeycorner.com and their mathematical calculation of rank, which includes opponents records and margin of victory as variables, the Leopards rank 22nd. The NCAA statistics are impressive, they rank 6th in goals and goals per game. They are 8th in average margin of victory, 11th in winning percentage,9th in defensive saves, and 12th in assists. Katie Birle is ranked 11 in goals and Ellen Coulbourne is 11th in assists. Katie and Amanda Madagan are 11th in points per game as of this writing.

Yes, it is still early and these statistics probably are not reflective of a whole season. However, after this weekend’s games with Monmouth and Quinnipiac, the Leopards will be playing three straight games with highly ranked team, an important league match with Boston University @ Boston, University of Conn. @ UConn and Albany @ home. At that point the Leopards will have played more than 50% of their games with top 20 teams. After that, we will have a fair view of where the Leopards are nationally.

But it is really the league schedule that hold the key to getting into the national tournament.  A win over the preseason favorite in Boston would be a big step forward. These are must win games to get the Leopards into the League tournament and have a home field advantage. The other games may or may not help to get a second Patriot League  team into the tourney. First things first, and of concern for the team and their coaches is Monmouth’s return to Rappolt Field for a game tomorrow. The Leopards holds a 10-1 all time winning record with Monmouth.

However, Monmouth is an improving program and I do not expect for them to be an easy game. Last night, they lost to Rutgers after taking an early lead. Rutgers tied it before the end of the half and finally pulled ahead in the second half ending the game with a 4-2 win. Monmouth also lost to Bucknell 3-1 in their first game after an early lead. A good early start against this aggressive attacking team would bode well for the Leopards.

We are getting to the belly of the season and with good results it  could go a long way for the Maroon and White to set up  a sprint to reaching their goals. Go Pards!!