FIELD HOCKEY GAME CENTRAL

HAMILTON, N.Y. (10/15/10) – The Colgate field hockey team will look to build on its 1-1 Patriot League record as the Raiders host ninth-ranked American at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Tyler's Field.

LAST TIME OUT
Sophomores Lauren Dittman (Irwin, Pa.) and Adriana Libutti (South Windsor, Conn.) scored two goals each to lead the Colgate field hockey team to a 5-1 win over Lehigh in Patriot League action on Saturday afternoon. Colgate also got a goal from senior captain Allison Waugh (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) on her first of the season. Senior Laura Denenga (Harare, Zimbabwe) posted two assists in the win as well. Senior captain Kirsten Lalli (Pound Ridge, N.J.) got the win with seven saves, while rookie Caitlin Zolet (Potomac, Md.) got in the game and pushed aside three shots.

MAGIC NUMBER FIVE
In three of the four wins this season, the Raiders have scored five goals and when they score two or more goals they are 4-0. Before the 5-1 win last Saturday, Colgate posted a pair of 5-0 shutout wins against Robert Morris and Siena. All three five-goal games have come on the turf of Tyler's Field. The other win for the Raiders came in a 2-1 overtime win at St. Francis.

PAIR OF SOPHOMORES LEAD RAIDERS
Dittman and Libutti led the way for Colgate last Saturday as each tallied two goals. The two become the third and fourth player this season to score two goals in a game. Denenga and rookie Halle Biggar (Pepper Pike, Ohio) were the other two to register a pair of tallies. They also did it together in one game as they scored in the season opener against Robert Morris in another 5-0 win.

LALLI WINS PATRIOT LEAGUE GOALIE OF THE WEEK AGAIN
For the third time this season, Lalli was named Patriot League Goalie of the Week after her 1-1 week with a win over Lehigh and a loss to Cornell. Against the Big Red, she made 13 saves to reach double-digits for the fifth time. Unfortunately, the two goals against were enough for Cornell to take the win. She turned around on Saturday and saved seven shots, taking the win over the Mountain Hawks for her first career Patriot League victory. She continues to lead the league in saves with 126, averaging 9.69 stops per contest, which is also tops in the league.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
American enters Saturday's contest as the ninth-ranked team in the nation and the Eagles are currently on a 10-game winning streak after losing back-to-back games to Old Dominion and Louisville early in the season. They are 11-2 on the year and 2-0 in league play with wins over Holy Cross and Lehigh. American is coming off a 3-1 win over Duke on Oct. 10.

The Eagles have eight players with 10 or more points on the season. Christine Fingerhuth leads the team and the league in goals and points with 11 and 23, respectively. She is averaging just under two points a game at 1.77. Gina Hofman is not far behind with 18 points on four goals and a team-high 10 assists. She has fired 33 shots, while Fingerhuth has 40 on the year. In net, Hannah Weitzman has started all 13 games and has recorded all 11 wins. She has an amazing 0.87 goals against average and has three shutouts for second in the league.

SERIES HISTORY
Colgate is winless against American as the two schools have played 12 times since American joined the Patriot League in 2001. The Eagles have a perfect 12-0 mark against the Raiders. Two seasons ago, American beat the Raiders twice. The Eagles took a 2-0 win in Hamilton and then beat the Raiders 5-1 in the Patriot League Tournament. Last season, American hosted Colgate and came away with a 5-1 win.