Erie, PA—Mercyhurst Field Hockey will be back on the field for four games this week as they open their season against Queens on Monday followed by Mansfield on Wednesday, Belmont Abbey on Friday, and on the road against Lindenwood on Sunday. For the home games, live stats can be found here, while live video can be found on the PSAC Digital Network.
The Matchups
Queens University and the Lakers have played each other three times, with Queens leading the series 2-1. The Royals won the first and third meetings by scores of 3-2 and 5-0. The Lakers won the second meeting 5-0 in 2018.
The Lakers hold a 9-6 record against Mansfield in the all-time series. However, the Mounties have won the last three matchups. Prior to the last three matchups, the Lakers had a six-game winning streak. Mercyhurst and Mansfield will matchup once again on Sept. 29 for a PSAC contest.
Mercyhurst and Belmont Abbey have only played once in their program's history. The Crusaders won the game 3-0 in 2019.
Mercyhurst and Lindenwood have matched up on three different occasions. In the all-time series the Lakers have the 2-1 advantage. Mercyhurst won both of the first meetings by scores of 4-2 and 2-1. The most recent time the two schools have clashed was in 2016 when Lindenwood captured a 4-3 victory.
Firsts for All
Head Coach Brittney Randolph will finally be able to coach her first championship season after being hired last September. Katie Lammando also joins the Laker coaching staff as a graduate assistant in 2021. On top of having a new coaching staff the Lakers also have 12 players that have yet to play a championship season at Mercyhurst. 11 of the 12 are freshman or sophomores while Alexandrea McDonald transferred from Merrimack.
All Hands-on Deck
Despite having 13 field players on the team that were on the squad in 2019, only three have scored a collegiate goal. The Lakers return none of their top scorers from 2019 and will look for players with limited experience to lead the way.
Scouting Queens
Queens plays their first game against Slippery Rock later today. The Royals went 6-3 in the shortened 2020 season and went 13-7 in 2019. Brandi Kist is the head coach for Royals who were tabbed first for the SAC Preseason Poll.
Scouting Mansfield
The Mounties opened their season with a 6-0 win over Saint Michael's College on Saturday. They face Southern Connecticut State on Sunday for their final game before coming to Erie on Wednesday. Mansfield was picked seventh in the PSAC Preseason Coaches poll after not playing in 2020 and going 12-7 in 2019.
Scouting Belmont Abbey
Belmont Abbey opens their season on Tuesday before playing Mercyhurst on Friday. The Crusaders went 2-4 in the shortened 2020 season with their wins coming over Mount Olive and Queens to start their season. In 2019, they went 7-12 while falling in the first round of the SAC playoffs.
Scouting Lindenwood
The Lions began their 2021 campaign with a trio of games against PSAC schools. They started with a 3-1 win over Slippery Rock followed by a 5-0 win against Seton Hill. Lindenwood suffered their lone setback to IUP by a score of 3-1.The Lions did not play in 2020 however they did hold a 11-7 record in the year prior.
