Field Hockey Takes On Syracuse, William and Mary This Weekend
9/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
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THE GAME
The Golden Flashes (0-3) will look to snap its three-game skid this weekend when they take on Syracuse (1-2) and William & Mary (1-2) in Syracuse, N.Y. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10. Kent State came out on the short end of two one-goal defeats last weekend and are chomping at the bit to get into the win column, having not started 0-3 since 1996. William & Mary finished 15th in last years final top 25 poll while Syracuse finished just outside the top 25.Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes fought back from a 0-2 deficit in the second half, only to fall 3-2 at Boston College, who finished 13th nationally a year ago, Sunday afternoon in Newton, Mass. Junior Elizabeth Lahey and freshman Melanie Bierens de Haan scored two-consecutive goals in the span of less than three minutes to tie the game at two in the second half, but couldnt get over the hump as BCs Alyssa Emrick scored the game-winner with 10 minutes left. KSU goalkeeper Linz Markwart recorded 10 saves on the afternoon, six in the first half.New Stadium On Schedule
Kent State will embark on a new chapter in its field hockey history when they open at home against national power Michigan Sunday, Sept. 25 at the newly constructed Kent State Field Hockey complex. Construction crews are hard at work on the new facility which is located just north of footballs Dix Stadium. The facility will include a brand new, state-of-the-art playing surface by Sportexe, a storage and meeting facility, watering system, new stands, scoreboard and camera platforms. The Stadium will officially be introduced when Kent State hosts Indiana Oct. 2.Young Guns
The Golden Flashes have a flurry of experience with nine letterwinners back from last years MAC championship team ... but have only one senior in Carrie Rupp, leaving the future of the program very bright. Coach DeVries has shown no fear in playing her youngsters, having started six freshman this season at the forward, midfield and backfield positions.No Cupcakes
Coach Kerry DeVries is a firm believer in scheduling the best possible competition every year to prepare for the MAC schedule. The case is no different in 2005 as Kent State is slated to play against eight teams ranked or receiving votes in last years final Top 25 poll. Thus far this season the Golden Flashes took Dartmouth and Boston College to the brink of defeat, only to fall by one goal in each of those games.Last year the Flashes came within one goal of knocking off No. 1-ranked Michigan State and fell to No. 5 Wake Forest, 4-2, on consecutive days.
Flashes Preseason Favorite To Win The MAC
Kent State (11-8, 8-2 MAC in 2004), the Mid-American Conference regular season co-champion and tournament runner-up in 2004, was predicted by leagues coaches to win it all in 2005. Miami and Ohio tied for second in this years preseason poll. In her final season as head coach, Kerry DeVries returns nine letterwinners and will be led by Berber Rischen (Jr.,MF). Rischen was selected as MAC co-Player of the Year last season, finishing with six goals, 10 assists and 22 points as well as earning first team All-MAC honors.DeVries Stepping Down After 2005 Season
Kent State Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy announced Aug. 15 that head coach Kerry DeVries will step down following the 2005 season. DeVries, beginning her ninth year at the helm of the Golden Flashes program, will move with her family to Belgium following the season. Kennedy also announced Helen Knull, a two-time All-American player at Kent State, was promoted to associate head coach.Scouting Syracuse
The Syracuse Orange, who finished ranked 26th in last years final poll, are 1-2 thus far in 2005. The Orange recorded their only win with a 3-2 overtime victory at Stanford last Sunday. They dropped a 4-0 decision vs. Pacific to open the season and fell, 3-1, to Cal-Berkley on Labor Day.Junior Ashley Fry lead the Orange with two goals followed by two others with one. Michelle Sola leads with eight shots while SU has been outshot by its three opponents, 53-29. Heather Hess (1-1) and Marie OBrien (0-1) have split time in goal with Hess getting a majority of the minutes and leading the team with 20 saves.
The Orange is coached by Kathleen Parker who ranks 14th all-time among college field hockey coaches (all three divisions) in total games coached (508) and is ranked sixth among active Division I coaches in career wins (296). She has guided Syracuse to 15 of 16 appearances in the Big East Tournament, including 14 straight trips from 1989-2002.
The SU Series
The Flashes are 1-2 all-time vs. Syracuse, having won the last meeting in 2003, 1-0, in Kent.Scouting William & Mary
The Tribe also is 1-2 on the season with a win over Ball State, 4-1, and losses to Penn State, 1-0 on a penalty shot after two overtimes, and a 3-1 loss to defending national champion North Carolina last Saturday. W&M have five players with one goal each this season, one of those being Jessica Kacerek who also has two assists for a team-high four points. Goalkeeper Gwen Hunter has allowed just four goals in her three games with 20 saves. The Tribe is coached by Peel Hawthorne who is in her 19th season in Williamsburg and 23rd season overall.The W&M Series
Kent State is 2-1 in three meetings with the Tribe all-time and won the last meeting in 2002, a 3-2 win in overtime at a neutral site.Rischen Looks to Get on Track
Junior midfielder Berber Rischen returns for her junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign that earned her MAC co-Player of the Year honors. The two-time All-MAC performer scored six goals and dished out a team-high 10 assists for 22 points in 2004. She returns this year in the best shape of her career and is determined to lead Kent State back to the NCAA ranks. DeVries believes Rischen will be one of the top players in the country this season and is en route to becoming the best player in Kent State history. Thus far in 2005, Rischen leads the Flashes with 10 shots, but is still searching for her first goal.Markwart Anchors Defense
Junior goalkeeper Linz Markwart has played very well in goal for the Flashes against nationally-ranked competition. She is second among MAC goalkeepers with 18 saves and is third with a 6.0 saves per game average. Markwart was third in the MAC last season with a 2.13 goals-against average and was second in the conference with three shutouts. She started all 19 games and was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week three times.Freshman Class
Joining the Flashes this season are seven freshmen who hail from high school powerhouses in Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Three freshmen bring international flair to Kent coming from their homes in Holland and Scotland. DeVries thinks this talented group of seven women is one of the best recruiting classes in recent years. The class includes Natalie Barrett (Scotland), Melanie Bierens de Haan (Holland), Stephanie Bernthal (Illinois), MaryKate Hanosek (Penn.), Gina Uguccioni (Mass.), Sarah Nolan (Mich.) and Britt van Pelt (Holland).International Flair
International players have been a big part of Kent States success in recent years. This year Kent State has six international players on its roster from Scotland, The Netherlands, Holland and Canada, including 2004 MAC co-Player of the Year Berber Rischen from The Netherlands. All told, the Golden Flashes have had more than 27 players from outside the United States in the last eight years.Up Next
The Flashes continue its season-opening road swing next weekend (Sept. 16-17) when they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. for showdowns with two top 10-ranked teams from a year ago. The Flashes take on Wake Forest under the lights at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 and Michigan State at 2 p.m. Saturday.
