Holy Cross Field Hockey Opens Patriot League Play Against American

The Holy Cross field hockey team is set to open Patriot League action this weekend, as it hosts American at the Hart Turf Field at the Luth Athletic Complex on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. "American is a very solid program and they will be a great challenge for us," said head coach Lindsay Jackson. "It's the start of Patriot League play and the focus on being successful in our league is driving the team. We want to compete with every team in the Patriot League and we are very excited to begin conference play on Saturday."

The Crusaders are coming off a pair of wins over UMass Lowell and Sacred Heart. Holy Cross defeated the River Hawks 3-2 on Friday before defeating Sacred Heart 2-1 on Sunday.
Junior forward Maureen Connolly leads Holy Cross with 16 points, including seven goals and two assists. She currently leads the Patriot League in points per game (3.20) and goals per game (1.40). The forward has also notched at least one point in each of her last ten games played. Sophomore midfielder Emily Loprete and senior midfielder Lauren Sutherland each notched their first goals of the season this past week. Freshman goalkeeper Marcia LaPlante made her first two starts this past weekend against UMass Lowell and Sacred Heart, earning wins in both contests with a total of 12 saves.
American is off to a 4-2 start to its season, having most recently gone 1-1 at the Terrapin Invitational over the weekend with a 4-2 win over Fairfield and a 6-2 loss to Maryland.

Natalie Konerth leads the Eagles with nine points on the season, including four goals and one assist. Maura Jacobs has seen the most time in net for American, holding a 3-1-0 record with a .743 save percentage with a 2.25 goals against average. The Eagles finished second in the Patriot League last season, falling to Boston University in the championship game. Head coach Steve Jennings is in his 18th season with American

After this game, Holy Cross field hockey will host the Fairfield Stags on Wednesday the 21st.

To stay updated on the Holy Cross field hockey team, follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossFH, on Facebook at Holy Cross Field Hockey, and on Instagram at HolyCrossFieldHockey.