NEC FRONT ROW

LORETTO, Pa. (Sept. 14, 2012) - The Saint Francis University field hockey team opens its home schedule with a contest against Patriot League foe Colgate Saturday at 1 p.m. at DeGol Field.
 
The Red Flash (3-3, 0-0) opened the season on a six game road trip and picked up wins against Lock Haven, Longwood and Lehigh. The Flash opened the season with wins in three of their first four games but SFU has suffered a pair of tough defeats entering Saturday's action. Villanova rallied from down 1-0 to knock off the Flash, while Bucknell scored in the final minute against Flash Sept. 9 to force overtime and picked up the winner in overtime to deny SFU its fourth win of the season.
 
Saint Francis enters the weekend looking for the program's first win against Colgate. Last season, the Raiders needed overtime to best the Flash in Hamilton, N.Y. Tia Dudukovich (Port Matilda, Pa./State College Area) recorded a pair of assists and Carissa Makea (Auckland, New Zealand/Rosehill College) and Jocelyn Scillia (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) each picked up second half goals as SFU looked to be headed towards a win. But Peyton Hawkins scored in the final six minutes to force overtime. Halle Biggar scored 5:24 into extra time to give the Raiders the win.
 
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
In just six games this season ,the Red Flash have racked up 13 goals the fifth-best single season total in school history. Saint Francis leads the Northeast Conference in goals per game and goals scored entering the weekend. The Flash have achieved this success by sharing the ball and currently sit tie for first in the NEC in total assists. Carissa Makea (Auckland, New Zealand/Rosehill College) leads the attack for the Red Flash with, an NEC leading, five goals and a conference best 12 points. Makea is joined in the Top-10 in the NEC in points by teammates Tia Dudukovich (Port Matilda, Pa./State College Area) (7) and Autumn Pellman (Millerstown, Pa./Greenwood) (7). Dudukovich ranks first in the NEC in both assists with five and assist per game averaging 0.83 per contest.
 
LAST TIME OUT: BUCKENELL 4, SFU 3 (OT)
The Red Flash suffered a heart breaking defeat at the hands of in-state rival Bucknell as the Bison scored in the final minute of regulation to deny SFU its fourth win of the season.
 
Carissa Makea (Auckland, New Zealand/Rosehill College) scored twice for the Red Flash but Maggie Murphy's goal 3:53 into overtime secured the win for Bucknell. Katelyn Vitali posted eight saves in the cage for the Red Flash but it was not enough against the Bison attack, which posted 12 shots on cage. Kellie Mason (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) also picked up a goal for SFU off a Selena Adamshick (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman) but it was not enough.
 
COMING HOME
The Red Flash return home Saturday for their first home contest of the season as they take on Colgate. SFU currently stands as winners of two of their last three home contest and have three wins in their last six games. The Flash are also looking to win their home opener for the second time in the Stacey Bean era.  
 
MOVING ON UP
Katelyn Vitali returned for her Redshirt senior season in 2012 and is making the most of it. The goalkeeper entered the season ranked third all-time at SFU in career saves but she is quickly moving in on Kristen Onto for second-place in school history. The native of Churchville, Md. entered the season 46 saves behind Onto and though six games this season she has already stopped 31 shots and now sits just 16 stops away from being all alone in second-place. 
 
NEXT UP
Saint Francis returns to action Sunday as they return to the road for a neutral site contest at Lock Haven against Vermont at 1:30 p.m.