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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team starts its 2017 campaign 12 p.m. Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium against American International College followed by a neutral-site game against Queens University 12 p.m. Monday in Lexington, Virginia.

HURRICAN HARVEY DONATIONS
As part of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference initiative, the Slippery Rock University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be taking donations at halftime of Saturday's game for those effected by Hurricane Harvey. Funds collected at SRU will be sent to the PSAC office, which will combine the money collected at all 18 PSAC schools and donate it to the American Red Cross relief effort.

GAME ONE DETAILS
Opponent: American International College
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2 – 12 p.m.
Location: Mihalik-Thompson Stadium | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Live Stats: Link
Live Video: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: SRU leads 4-3
Last Played: Sept. 9, 2016 (The Rock lost 2-1 at AIC)
 
LAST MEETING vs. AIC
Trailing 1-0 coming out of halftime, Slippery Rock was able to tie the game when Sam Geroski found Megan McKay for a goal in the 37th minute. However, the Yellow Jackets took their final advantage of the game when Katie Lombardozzi converted a goal with just 1:43 remaining in regulation to give AIC the one-goal victory.
 
AIC SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock leads the all-time series 4-3.  Slippery Rock and American International exchanged wins and losses in their first four games before Slippery Rock grabbed two consecutive wins. Most recently, AIC beat The Rock 2-1 in their 2016 matchup.
 
GAME TWO DETAILS
Opponent: Queens University
Date: Monday, Sept. 4 – 12 p.m.
Location: W&L Turf Field | Lexington, Virginia
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: N/A
 
QUEENS SERIES HISTORY
This will be Slippery Rock's first game against Queens University. The Queens field hockey program played its inaugural season just this past year.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
2016 Record: 6-12
2016 PSAC Record: 3-7
2016 Home Record: 4-5
2016 Away Record: 1-7
2016 Neutral Record: 1-0
2017 Preseason Poll: Picked to finish eighth in PSAC
Head Coach: Julie Swiney | Eighth season at SRU (47-83) | 11th season overall (61-125)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
• NEUTRAL SITE DOMINANCE – Slippery Rock has excelled in neutral site games. Under Swiney, SRU has posted four straight neutral-site wins over the last six years against Saint Thomas Aquinas (2016, 2-0), Lindenwood (2015, 2-1), Bellarmine (2014, 3-2) and Mercy (3-0).

• TURNING THE TIDE – Slippery Rock is just 15-26 all-time in season-opening games, but SRU has the chance to start its season off with a win for the second consecutive year after beating Saint Thomas Aquinas in its 2016 opener.

• THE RETURNERS – The Rock returns six players that started in at least 10 games last season, including Kailee Krupski (one goal, eight assists), Nicole Bream (2.00 goals against average, 114 saves, three shutouts), Liz Wolfe (eight defensive saves), Kayla Mack (five defensive saves), Hannah Downing (three goals), Allison Grant (two goals) and Brenna McGovern-Lind (one assist).

• Other contributors that are back for SRU in 2017 include Geroski (one assist), Jordan Barnes (one goal), Hannah Simone (one goal), Torri Rose (one goal), Madison Krajewski (one assist), Alyssa Castle (16 games played), Rachel Ivins (three games played), Kalie Reed (three games played), Tara Maloney (two games played) and Madison Peck (backup goalkeeper).

• THE NEWCOMERS – Joining the roster for the 2017 campaign are Mel Kerins (Dublin, Pa./Pennridge), Kayla Ulrich (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township), Courtney Page (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), Brittany Morgan (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus), Allison Martin (Galena, Ohio/Olentangy), Abby McKay (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and Maddie Murphy (Broken Arrow, Okla./Holland Hall).

• SENIOR LEADER – Krupski has been one of The Rock's top offensive performers over the last three seasons with 32 points on 11 goals and 10 assists over 54 games played. Her eight assists a season ago was a Rock single-season record. She'll enter the 2017 season ranked fifth in program history in career assists, 10th in career points and 18th in career goals.

• SHE'S A KEEPER – Bream will be back after recording 114 saves last season and registering three shutouts. Bream currently ranks third in SRU field hockey history in save percent (.762), fourth in saves per game (5.43) and sixth in total saves (125). Bream played all 1,260 minutes of The Rock's 2016 season, she was just the third Rock goalkeeper since 2005 (12 years) to play every minute of a season. Carlee DuMars (2014) and Lisa Belcastro (2009) also accomplished the feat.   

• THE DEFENDERS – Slippery Rock's back line has had a remarkable knack for being a quality last line of defense under Swiney. Over the last seven years, The Rock has had at least one player ranked in the top six in the PSAC in defensive saves in Wolfe (2016-first), Mack (2015-sixth), Baylee Childress (2014-first, 2013-third, 2012-sixth) and Erin Moran (2011-first, 2010-third).

• AGAINST AIC ALL-TIME – Four current Slippery Rock players have recorded a goal or assist against American International dating back to 2015. Geroski recorded an assist in the 2016 matchup. Castle and Krupski produced goals and = Downing recorded an assist in the 2015 contest.

• TEACHER vs. STUDENT – Saturday's game will see Swiney, who coached at American International for three seasons prior to coming to Slippery Rock against Yellow Jackets coach Rhonwen Peters, who played for Swiney three years as a member of AIC's field hockey team.

NEXT FIVE GAMES
Sept. 6 (4 p.m.) vs. Mansfield
Sept. 9 (11 a.m.) at Kutztown
Sept. 10 (1 p.m.) vs. Bellarmine University
Sept. 13 (7 p.m.) at Washington & Jefferson
Sept. 16 (1 p.m.) at Shippensburg
 
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PRIMER
2016 Record: 10-8
2016 NE-10 Record: 6-6
2016 Home Record: 6-4
2016 Away Record: 4-4
Preseason Poll: Picked to finish tenth in NE-10
Head Coach: Rhonwen Peters | First season at AIC
 
SCOUTING AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
• American International has won four consecutive season-opening games.

• American International returns eleven players from last year's team, including Chelsea Davis (one goal, two assists, eight defensive saves), Payton Montague (two goals, two assists), Jenny Holmquist (one goal, one assist), Meghan Brock (one goal, one assist), Georgia Barnes (one goal), Katelynn Leclerc (one assist), Katie Lombardozzi (one defensive save), Paige Montague (14 games played), Mikayla Jones (10 games played), Nichara Condo (nine games played) and Devyn O'Connor (eight games played).

QUEENS PRIMER
2016 Record: 9-7
2016 Home Record: 6-1
2016 Away Record: 3-5
2016 Neutral Record: 0-1
Head Coach: Brandi Kist | Second season at Queens (9-7)
 
SCOUTING QUEENS 
• In its inaugural season, Queens won their season-opener against Southern New Hampshire University, 2-1.

• Queens brings back four out of its top five scores from 2016. Mazvita Mtisi was Queens leading scorer (16 points, six goals, four assists) followed by Renee Smith (11 points, five goals, one assist), Kayleigh Lawrence (11 points, four goals, three assists) and Hanna Nechay (nine points, three goals, three assists). Starting goalkeeper Miranda Childers also returns after recording a 1.77 goals against average, 98 saves and three shutouts.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns home to host Mansfield University 4 p.m. Sept. 6 at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.


To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics), Instagram (RockAthletics) and Snapchat (@RockAthletics).