POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 13, 2016) – The Vassar College field hockey team will head out on the road for the first time in 2016 Wednesday, making the short trip to Danbury, CT for a non-conference tussle with Western Connecticut State University. Wednesday's road game is the latest a VC team has opened up the road slate since 2011, when Vassar traveled to Mercy College on September 16.

Game Details
Opponent: at Western Connecticut State University (2-2, 0-0 Little East)
Links: (WCSU's Field Hockey Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Danbury, CT
Facility: Western Athletic Complex
Date: September 14, 2016
Time: 7 p.m.
Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
Last Time Out: The Brewers improved to 3-1 on Saturday afternoon, dispatching of The College at Brockport 9-0 in action from Weinberg Field. Vassar chalked up seven different goal scorers in the game, as senior Hayley Beach and sophomore Gracie Tavakkol notched tallies for Vassar. In all, VC outshot the Golden Eagles 34-1 and had all of the game's 20 penalty corners.  Tavakkol added an assist, while Emma Bracken chalked up four assists in the game, a new school record.

A Look At The Brewers:

• In Vassar's 9-0 win over Brockport, the Brewers played 20 players including both goalkeepers, who combined for the 70-minute shutout.
• Coming into the week, the Brewers have the Liberty League's best scoring defense, allowing 0.50 goals per game.
• The Brewer offense has been putting pressure on opposing teams, firing 24.00 shots per game and 14.25 shots on goal a contest, both league highs.
• Emma Bracken earned Honor Roll accolades by the Liberty League Monday after posting a school-record four assists in Saturday's win. She is also tied for the conference lead in the category.
• Gracie Tavakkol is fourth in the conference in points as of Tuesday morning, chalking up three goals and an assist for 2.33 points per game.
• Vassar has spread out the game-winning goals on offense, as Megan Caveny, Cristina Lopez and Mikayla Young all have earned the deciding goal this year.
• Sophomore Paige Amico has been stellar in net this year, leading the conference in save percentage at .882 while also allowing just two goals all year so far.
• With her two goals on Saturday, Hayley Beach posted her 16^th and 17^th tallies of her career, which tied her for eighth all-time at Vassar.
• The four helpers from Bracken pushed her career total to 13, moving her into third on the all-time list at Vassar.
• Over the last four seasons, Vassar has posted a 13-3 record over the first four games of each season. VC went 4-0 in 2014, and 3-1 in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

A Look At The Colonials:

• Western Connecticut is 2-2 on the season, falling its last time out at home in overtime against Worcester State 2-1. WCSU is 1-1 on its home turf this season.
• Carly Matasavage has a team-leading two goals on 15 shots this season, with one game-winning goal.
• Teammate Greta McConnell has also tallied a pair of goals for the Colonials, scoring on two of her three shots on goal.
• WCSU has chalked up only two assists on its seven goals this year, as Olympia Moulton and Allie Noteware each have a helper.
• Goalkeeper Kristy Trotta has allowed nine goals this season while manning the WCSU goal for all 295 minutes in the cage.
• WCSU is fourth in the Little East in penalty corners earned with 37 through four games, but are one of just three teams without a defensive save.
• Shooting accuracy hasn't been the best for Western, as it has the 11^th best shooting percentage in the LEC, at just over 10 percent.
• Head coach Danielle McDonnell enters her 11^th season as the head coach of the field hockey team at Western, after graduating from St. Joseph's back in 1996.

Against WCSU All-Time: The Brewers are 9-3 all-time against their rivals to the East, as Vassar has taken the last three meetings with WCSU after winning the first six as well. In the series, VC has gone 4-1 in five meetings in Danbury.

Next Up: The Brewers are back on Weinberg Field this upcoming Saturday afternoon for more non-conference action at 1 p.m., hosting the Roadrunners of Ramapo College (2-1).

--VASSAR--