No. 5 Ohio State Closes Regular Season at Iowa on Big Ten Network Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The fifth-ranked Ohio State field hockey team completes its 2010 regular season at Iowa at 1 p.m. ET Saturday in Iowa City. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network on tape-delayed basis at 6 p.m. that evening. Ohio State (14-3, 4-1 Big Ten) is tied for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan with 4-1 records. A win over Iowa will clinch at least a share of the regular-season conference title.
BUCKEYES ON BIG TEN NETWORK
Ohio State will complete the regular season at noon CT Saturday at Iowa in Iowa City. The Buckeyes’ game vs. the Hawkeyes will be televised by the Big Ten Network tape-delayed at 6 p.m. that evening. Lisa Byington and Kelly Druly will call the action. Ohio State is 1-0 this season on the Big Ten Network after defeating Indiana, 4-1, Oct. 2 in Bloomington.
LIVE STATS
Live scoring of the game vs. the Hawkeyes Saturday will be available at HawkeyeSports.com. A link to live stats also will be on the Buckeye field hockey schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
BIG TEN RACE
The Buckeyes are tied in first place with Michigan with matching 4-1 records, while Northwestern follows at 3-1. With one more Big Ten win, Ohio State will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title as the team looks to earn the top seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, taking place Nov. 4-7 in Evanston, Ill. The top seed in the tournament gets a bye into the semifinals in the seven-team event.
OHIO STATE IN A NUTSHELL
Junior co-captain Aisling Coyle leads the Buckeyes with 48 points and 21 goals, while sophomore forward Berta Queralt has 40 points on nine goals and a team-high 22 assists. Senior midfielder Aisling McKeon is third with 27 points and has 19 assists. Senior forward Jena Cacciatore is second on the team in goals with 10 and has 21 points overall.
As a team, Ohio State has had a second-half surge in games with 151-51 shot advantage, 88-23 penalty corner advantage and 29-11 goal advantage in the final 35 minutes. Overall, the Buckeyes have a 279-125 margin in shots this season and 146-61 lead in penalty corners, while outscoring opponents 59-21.
BUCKEYES ON THE ROAD
Ohio State has been one of the top teams on the road in 2010. The Buckeyes are 8-1 away from Columbus with key wins over nationally ranked opponents, including at Wake Forest Sept. 19, at Duke, Sept. 18, at Louisville Sept. 8 and at No. 12 Michigan Oct. 22. On the road, Ohio State has outscored its opponents, 26-14, has 121-69 advantage on shots and an 81-36 advantage on penalty corners. The Buckeyes are the only team in Division I with an undefeated road record (7-0).
OHIO STATE AT NO. 5
Ohio State moved to No. 5 in the Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I Poll released Tuesday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Six Big Ten programs received votes in the seventh 2010 regular-season standings with Ohio State leading followed by ninth-ranked Penn State, No. 11 Michigan State and No. 12 Michigan.
The ranking is the highest Ohio State has been in the Top 10 since the 2006 season. The Buckeyes finished No. 5 in the country after going 14-5 overall and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State started the year No. 14, climbed steadily in seven weeks and has stayed in the Top 10 for the last six weeks.
The Buckeyes are fifth in the nation in RPI, which leads all Big Ten schools.
BUCKEYE WIN STREAK
Ohio State has an eight-game win streak heading into the game vs. the Hawkeyes. During that span, the Buckeyes have picked up wins against three Top 15 Big Ten opponents, including Michigan State, 5-1, Oct. 15, Penn State, 3-0, Oct. 17 and Michigan, 2-1, Oct. 22.
Breakdown:
- Outscored opponents, 36-4
- Limited opponents to 4.9 shots per game
- Has a 60-17 advantage on penalty corners
- Has led for all 560 minutes of competition
- Team has combined for 110 total points (13.75 per game)
OHIO STATE RANKED IN NATIONAL CATEGORIES
Three Buckeyes are among the best in the nation in offensive categories (as of Oct. 24) heading into the final week of the regular season. Berta Queralt is third in assists per game (1.25), while Aisling McKeon is fifth (1.13). Aisling Coyle is sixth in the nation in goals per game (1.31) and seventh in points per game (2.94). Jenn Sciulli is seventh in defensive saves with six this year.
As a team, Ohio State is third in assists per game (3.63), fourth in points per game (10.38), fifth in winning percentage (.813), ninth in goals per game (3.38) and 10th in scoring margin (1.99) and penalty corners per game (8.75).
PASTOR-PITARQUE EARNS BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR
Paula Pastor-Pitarque earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors the conference announced Monday after helping to lead the Buckeyes to wins over No. 12 Michigan and UC Davis last weekend in Ann Arbor.
A native of Barcelona, Spain, she tallied four points with a goal and a pair of assists to earn her second weekly honor of her career after being named freshman of the week Oct. 4. In the Buckeyes seven-game win streak, Pastor-Pitarque has totaled 15 points with five goals and five assists. She is on an 11-game point streak.
OFFENSIVE FORCE
Sophomore forward Berta Queralt has adjusted to the double and triple teams opposing defenses have shown her. In the last eight games, the All-American has totaled 28 points with eight goals and 12 assists. Queralt has had at least five points in four games during the stretch in an 8-0 win vs. Robert Morris Sept. 29 and 5-1 victories over Miami (Ohio) Oct. 7 and then-No. 7 Michigan State Oct. 15. She posted six points against Ball State Oct. 27 in the Buckeyes’ regular-season home finale.
The native of Barcelona, Spain, had multiple goals vs. Robert Morris, Miami and Ball State and multiple assists against Indiana, Michigan State, UC Davis and Ball State. Queralt leads the conference in assists (22) and assist per game (1.29) and is third in points (40) and points per game (2.35).
22 AND COUNTING
Sophomore forward Berta Queralt has accomplished something no Buckeye before her has done. Her 22 assists this season is a program record, breaking the previous mark set by Mieke van Ulden (1994-97) who recorded 20 assists during the 1996 season. Queralt ranks currently fourth on the career assists record with 34 and needs one to tie Yesenia Luces (2004-07) for third all-time.
SCIULLI LEADS DEFENSE
Junior back Jenn Sciulli leads the conference in defensive saves this year with six. The native of Palmyra, Pa., has 12 in her career, which is tied for fifth with Tracey Senich (1993-96) and Traci Massielo (1990-93) on the Ohio State’s all-time list.
LAST TIME OUT
Ohio State shutout Ball State, 5-0, Oct. 27 in the regular-season home finale at Buckeye Varsity Field. The Buckeyes were led by sophomore forward Berta Queralt with six points on a pair of goals and assists. Senior forward Jena Cacciatore, sophomore forward Danica Deckard and freshman Paula Pastor-Pitarque also recorded goals. Junior co-captain Aisling Coyle and senior midfielder Aisling McKeon each had assists.
NEWS FROM IOWA
Last time out, the Hawkeyes (3-12, 0-5 Big Ten) fell to Northwestern Oct. 24 at Grant Field. Freshman Kim Scraper and sophomore Sarah Drake each recorded goals for Iowa. Sophomore Jessica Barnett leads Iowa in shots (55), points (14) and goals (7). Sophomore goalkeeper Kathleen McGraw, 3-12 with a 3.16 goals against average has three shutouts this year.
OHIO STATE VS. THE HAWKEYES
Iowa leads the all-time series, 40-13, against the Buckeyes. Last time out, Ohio State defeated the Hawkeyes, 2-0, Oct. 11, 2009, in Columbus.
The Last Five Meetings:
Oct. 11, 2009 – Ohio State 2, Iowa 0
Nov. 9, 2008 – Iowa 2, Ohio State 1 (OT)
Oct. 19, 2008 – Ohio State 2, Iowa 0
Oct. 14, 2007 – Iowa 2, Ohio State 1
Nov. 4, 2006 – Iowa 2, Ohio State 0
IN THE BIG TEN
Several Buckeyes rank among the top 3 in various Big Ten categories (as of Oct. 27). Aisling Coyle is second in the conference in multiple offensive categories, including points (48), points per game (2.82), goals (21) and goals per game (1.24). Berta Queralt is first in the league in assists and in assists per game with 22 and 1.29, respectively. Also, Queralt is third in points (40) and points per game (2.35). Aisling McKeon is second in assists (19) and assists per game (1.12).
Defensively, Jenn Sciulli leads the Big Ten in defensive saves with six; four more than those in second.
As a team, Ohio State is first in several statistics, including scoring margin (2.16), scoring average (3.35), goals against average (1.19), goals scored (59), goals scored per game (3.47), goals allowed per game (1.24), assists (62), assists per game (3.65), penalty corners (8.59) and defensive saves (7).
GREAT SCOT
Aisling Coyle is having a big year offensively in her third season at Ohio State. After tallying her second-career hat trick against UC Davis Oct. 23, the Buckeye midfielder continues to lead the team in goals (21) and points (48), both career highs. Her 21 goals are more than the previous two years combined after recording five in 2008 and six in 2009. The native of Glasgow, Scotland, has scored in 14 of 17 games this season.
SOPHOMORE SUCCESS
Sophomore Danica Deckard is one of the factors for the Buckeyes’ eight-game winning streak. During the stretch, the forward has posted 13 points on six goals and an assist. Against the Spartans Oct. 15, Deckard scored the first two goals of the game after scoring once vs. Miami and twice vs. Robert Morris. Most recently, she finalized the 5-0 score vs. Ball State Oct. 27. Her seven goals, one assist and 15 points are all career-highs for the second-year Buckeye.
A HELPING HAND
Sophomore forward Berta Queralt and senior midfielder Aisling McKeon have played major roles in the Buckeye offense. The two have combined for 41 of Ohio State’s 62 assists while playing key roles on the OSU penalty corner unit. Queralt’s 22 and McKeon’s 19 assists are both career-highs.
DEFENSIVE SHUTDOWN
In the last eight games, the Buckeye defense has allowed just four goals. Led by senior Bri Doak and junior Jenn Sciulli, Ohio State’s defense has only allowed an average of 1.24g goals and 7.35 shots per game this year.
Ohio State denied Ohio a shot in the final 42:22 minutes of the 2-1 (OT) win (Aug. 31) in the season opener. The Buckeyes outshot Kent State, 16-0, Sept. 5 and outshot Robert Morris, 34-0, Sept. 29. On the Big Ten Network, the Scarlet and Gray limited Indiana to just four shots Oct. 2.
The Buckeyes limited both Michigan (Oct. 22) and Michigan State (Oct. 15) to eight shots, while only allowing Penn State to four shots Oct. 17 in Columbus. Most recently, Ohio State limited Ball State to just two shots and did not allow a penalty corner the entire 70 minutes of play.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
First-year Buckeyes Paula Pastor-Pitarque and Nora Murer have shaken off any rookie jitters. Pastor-Pitarque, a native of Barcelona, Spain, has six goals and seven assists, while Murer, a native of Luzern, Switzerland, has a pair of assists.
Against Northwestern Sept. 24, Pastor-Pitarque scored her first-career goal, while Murer posted her first-career assist. The two continued their offensive success vs. Robert Morris as Pastor-Pitarque recorded her first-career three-point game with a goal and an assist, while Murer picked up her second point on an Aisling Coyle goal. Pastor-Pitarque scored her fourth goal of the season in the 3-0 shutout of Penn State Oct. 17. She continued her offensive success at No. 12 Michigan Oct. 22, tallying a goal and an assist, while Murer has played all but 26 minutes of the season in the backfield.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
Become a fan of the official Ohio State University Field Hockey fan page by going to www.facebook.com/OhioStateFieldHockey to follow the Buckeyes on facebook.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will next prepare for the 2010 Big Ten Tournament Nov. 4-7 in Evanston, Ill. The Big Ten Network will televise the semifinal and championship games.
