No. 3 UConn will take on No. 14 Lafayette in a ranked game to open the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament Friday.
Lafayette, a member of the Patriot Conference, had a season similar to UConn’s; it lost only two games, went undefeated in conference play and went 11-0 at home. Overall, it went 17-2, finishing the regular and conference tournament schedule on an eight-game winning streak.
The Leopards outscored their opponents 53-13, averaging 2.79 goals per game while allowing just 0.68. Lafayette outshot opponents 272 to 141 (165 to 73) on goal and held a 103-73 advantage in penalty corners.
Of their 19 games, 10 of them were shutouts, including back-to-back blowouts against Lehigh (11-0) and William & Mary (6-0) in mid-October.
Across its games, Lafayette allowed only one goal in the entire first half all season while netting 26 first-half goals.
Lena Thedrian led the team’s offense with 15 goals, three assists, 33 points and six game-winning goals. Kaite Gibb led the team in assists with 18, alongside four goals for 26 points. Addison Kahn anchored the defense, starting all 19 games and compiling a .66 goals-against average, with 54 saves and an .806 save percentage.
Lafayette is the only Patriot League team ranked in the top 40, well ahead of conference peers like American (No. 42), Boston University (No. 43), Bucknell (No. 46) and Holy Cross (No. 47).
The two teams last met over a decade ago in 2015, when the Huskies claimed victory in an 8-0 win; Lafayette, however, has since won its conference championship, earning it an automatic bid to the tournament.
UConn earned the No. 4 overall seed in the DI field hockey tournament and finished the regular season undefeated in conference play, losing only to No. 3 Harvard in September and to Old Dominion in the Big East championship game.
UConn managed to win a handful of ranked games against then-No. 20 Saint Josesph, then-No. 17 Rutgers, then-No. 3 Princeton, then-No. 14 Liberty, and No. 3 UMass, alongside beating Old Dominion in the regular season.
UConn outscored opponents 44 to 14, averaging 2.59 goals a game while surrendering only .82 goals per game. UConn outshot opponents 228 to 111 (149 to 56 on goal) and held a massive 117-61 advantage in penalty corners. Most of UConn’s goals this season came in the second or third period, and 10 of its 17 games were shutouts.
Big East Freshman of the year Lucy Zich directed the attack with team highs of 13 goals, 31 points and 56 shots, with 36 being on goal. Charlotte Ritter led the squad in playmaking with nine assists.
Marlijn Swaan anchored the backline with three team defensive saves, while Natalie McKenna posted a 0.69 goals-against average and a .745 save percentage, with 38 saves and seven solo shutouts and a 14–2 record.
UConn has a chance to put the conference tournament loss behind itself and add another championship to the five it already has, most recently in 2017.
Their matchup starts at noon Friday. The winner will advance to the second round, where it will face the winner of No. 5 Princeton (13–5) vs. Syracuse (12–6) on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.