The No. 5 UConn field hockey team will take their unbeaten record on a road trip this weekend playing Georgetown on Friday and No. 7 Princeton on Sunday.
The 10-0 Huskies are coming off a 6-0 win Tuesday afternoon at Quinnipiac. The win gave UConn its best start since 2004. Loren Sherer recorded her third hat trick of the season. Jestine Angelini scored two goals and Cara Silverman added a tally. The Huskies' win over the 1-7 Bobcats was a good tune-up for their battles this weekend.
Georgetown is 1-8 on the year with its only win over Big East foe Rutgers. Despite this, UConn does not want to look past the Hoyas to their top-ten match up two days later.
"Both games are important to us," said coach Nancy Stevens. "Georgetown continues to improve after a nice win over Rutgers."
The Huskies will be heavy favorites versus the Hoyas and will use Friday's game to prepare for Princeton.
"We will use some of our tactics for the Princeton game in our Georgetown match," Stevens said. "This will help us prepare for the challenge we face on Sunday."
Princeton and Georgetown are on opposite ends of the spectrum this season. While Georgetown has one win, the Tigers have only one loss. The loss came to Big East member Providence which UConn defeated 4-0. Princeton has impressive wins against No. 18 Ohio State and No. 3 Syracuse, both in overtime.
"We have an opportunity to get an important win versus a top-ten team," Stevens said. "The level of play will be very high."
The game will feature five players who played in the Junior World Cup this past summer. UConn's Melissa Gonzalez, Rayell Heistand and Sherer as well as Princeton's Julie and Katie Reinprecht participated in the tournament.
As for Sunday's game, the Huskies will look to shut down the Tigers' midfield.
"We need to contain Princeton's midfield, as that is the engine driving their team," Stevens said. "It will be a challenge."
Sunday's game will be the start of the hardest part of the Huskies' schedule. UConn will face three top-10 teams in two weeks. After Princeton, UMass will make a visit to Storrs next Friday. One of the most anticipated games of the year will be the following weekend when rival Syracuse will face the Huskies at the Sherman Complex for a rematch of last year's Big East Championship.
"Our team is ready for the challenge and looking forward to these exciting match-ups," Stevens said.
Be the first to comment on this article!