POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 26, 2015) – It was a good weekend for the Vassar College field hockey team, earning a Liberty League Tournament playoff berth for the third straight season with a 1-0 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Vassar will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament, heading to Geneva, NY to battle regular season champion William Smith College on Wednesday, November 4.

Before that though, Vassar College will finish its regular season with a pair of home non-conference affairs this week, hosting on the University of Scranton Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Weinberg Field. The Brewers are currently 7-0 at home this season, and hold the nation's second-longest home win streak of 16 going into Wednesday night's affair.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. University of Scranton (13-2, 4-2 Landmark)
Links: (Scranton's Field Hockey Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Weinberg Field
Date: October 28, 2015
Time: 7 p.m.
Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Look For
The Royals of Scranton have had a great season so far, and much of that has to do with their solid defensive play. Scranton has allowed just 0.81 goals per game this year, 10^th lowest in the nation this year. The Royals though have surrendered at least one tally in each of their last five road games, and the Brewers are averaging 3.15 goals per game at home this season.
 
A Look At The Royals (13-2, 4-2 Landmark)
The Royals are coming off a big 9-2 road victory over Moravian Sunday afternoon, posting the most goals in a game this year. Scranton will be finishing a three-game road trip on Wednesday, before hosting Elizabethtown Saturday for Senior Day. Scranton has been picking up votes in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top 20 poll lately, and jumped into the Top 20 earlier this season as well. Scranton currently sits in fourth place in the Landmark Conference, as Catholic, E'Town and Juniata all sport 5-1 marks going into the last week of action. Scranton has allowed the fewest goals this year in the Landmark Conference with 14, and is second in penalty corners earned with 158.
 
The offense has gone through a quartet of dynamic players in Alyssa Whitman, Krista Osborne, Jessica Pankey and Lara Haab. Whitman has chalked up a team-high 12 goals, fourth most in the Landmark Conference entering Monday. Osborne leads the team in points and assists, as she has chalked up 10 goals and seven helpers. Pankey and Haab have eight and six goals, respectively, while the two have combined for eight assists as well. Pankey has been great on both sides of the ball, as she leads the team with two defensive saves and also has netted three penalty stroke goals. Goalkeeper Christina Black has played every minute in net for the Royals, making 38 saves while posting seven shutouts.
 
Against Scranton All-Time
Scranton and Vassar have played each other every season since the 2007 campaign, and Scranton holds a 5-3 all-time series lead over the Brewers. After never having the home team win a game during the first five matches, the last three contests have gone to the hosts.
 
30/30 Club
Senior Lauren Wiebe (Chicago, IL/Francis W. Parker) scored her 30^th career goal on Saturday, lifting the Brewers to a 1-0 win over RPI. The 30 goals are tied for the second-most ever at Vassar.
 
Third Time's The Charm
The Brewers earned their 10^th win of the season on Saturday, and have posted double-digit wins in each of their last three seasons. Before 2013, VC had won 10 or more games just twice in program history.
 
Amico Against It
This season, freshman Paige Amico (Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon) has allowed 1.53 goals per game while playing all 1050 minutes in cage for VC. Her goals against average would rank second for a VC goalie in a season, behind just the 1.51 from Taylor Herman back in 2006.
 
Open Up Quick
This season, the Brewers are a perfect 9-0 when scoring first, but have gone 1-5 when having to come from behind.
 
Balanced Attack
Vassar has been very balanced on attack this season, with nine players attempting at least 10 shots. In all, 12 players have tallied a goal on the season.
 
Up Next
Vassar finishes its regular season on Halloween afternoon, hosting New Paltz Saturday at 2 p.m. on Weinberg Field in a clash of Hudson Valley rivals.