MERCYHURST (1-5, 0-1 NEC) @ MERRIMACK (0-7, 0-1 NEC)
Friday, Sept. 25 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Lowell, Mass. – Cushing Field Complex
TV: NEC Front Row
MERCYHURST @ STONEHILL
Sunday, Sept. 27 – 1:00 p.m. ET
Easton, Mass. – W.B. Mason Stadium
TV: NEC Front Row
The Mercyhurst Lakers field hockey team hits the road for a back-to-back stretch, opening at Merrimack on Friday at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Stonehill on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Both games stream live on NEC Front Row.
Lakers' Performance Overview
Mercyhurst opened its season on a high note, picking up a 2-1 win over Saint Francis on Sept. 8 — the first career win for head coach Bannatyne and an early sign of what this group can do. The Lakers have battled a tough non-conference slate since, testing themselves against quality competition in Lock Haven, Saint Louis, and Central Michigan before opening NEC play against Wagner on Sept. 18 in the program's Centennial Game at Saxon Stadium. Now 1-5 overall, Mercyhurst heads into this weekend's road trip looking to build on that opening-week success and pick up its first conference win against two NEC foes still finding their own footing this season.
NEC Standings Implications
With an 0-1 mark in conference play, Mercyhurst is looking to notch its first NEC win of the season. This weekend's slate offers contrasting opportunities: Merrimack (0-7, 0-1 NEC) is still searching for its first win of any kind, while Stonehill (1-5, 1-0 NEC) already has a conference victory banked. A strong showing would help the Lakers build momentum heading into the back half of the schedule, which includes home dates against LIU (Oct. 2) and New Haven (Oct. 18).
Scouting Merrimack (0-7, 0-1 NEC)
The Warriors come into Friday's matchup winless and reeling, with a seven-game losing streak and a record built entirely on the road so far (0-7 away, 0-0 home). Merrimack opened its season with a 2-7 loss at Boston University, then dropped a lopsided 1-10 decision at Bryant before falling 0-3 at Holy Cross and 2-4 at Dartmouth. The Warriors' NEC opener came on Sept. 18 at Stonehill, a 1-4 loss, and they were most recently blanked 0-6 at Vermont on Sept. 22. Friday's game against Mercyhurst is actually being played at Merrimack's home turf, Cushing Field Complex in Lowell, Mass., giving the Warriors a chance to notch their first home game of the season and snap the skid against a fellow struggling NEC opponent.
Scouting Stonehill (1-5, 1-0 NEC)
Stonehill enters Sunday in a very different spot than Merrimack — at 1-5 overall but a perfect 1-0 in the NEC, coming off a 4-1 win over Merrimack in its conference opener on Sept. 18 at W.B. Mason Stadium, a game in which O'Donnell scored twice for the Skyhawks. Stonehill is currently on a one-game skid after falling 1-4 at UMass Lowell on Sept. 20. Earlier in the season, the Skyhawks lost a 1-2 overtime heartbreaker at Holy Cross in their opener, were shut out 0-4 at Maine and 0-6 against Davidson, and dropped a 1-3 decision at Bryant. Their lone win remains that conference-opening statement over Merrimack, and they'll be looking to build a two-game NEC winning streak at home against Mercyhurst.
After the Weekend
The Lakers return home to host LIU at Saxon Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2, at 2:00 p.m.
