GAME OVERVIEW• Millersville has opened the season 7-0 for the third consecutive season. Three more wins would give Millersville the best start in program history. After allowing four goals on 10 shots in the first three games, Millersville has posted four consecutive shutouts, allowing only two shots on goal total. Three of the last four opponents have been held without a shot on goal. It is the fifth time in program history that Millersville has recorded four shutouts in a row. The school record for consecutive shutouts in five, which was set at the start of the 1950 season. Millersville now leads Division II in goals against average at 0.57 per game.
• Freshman Aliza Mizak is tied for the team lead in goals with four after scoring four times in the last six games. Since season-by-season records became available in 1984, only one Marauder freshman has led her team in scoring. That was Jaclyn Kulesza in 2004.
• Margaret Thorwart scored two goals against Slippery Rock, marking her first career multi-goal game. Thorwart leads the team in shots with 23. It was the first time she had scored a goal since Oct. 13 of her freshman season.ABOUT THE SERIES•
Millersville beat Mercyhurst on the road 20 days ago (3-1) and is now 11-4 all-time against the Lakers. Shelly Behrens is 9-0 against the Lakers. Mercyhurst last won at Millersville in 2007. Millersville has outscored Mercyhurst 32-10 over the last nine games with three shutouts. THE LAST MEETING (MILLERSVILLE 3, MERCYHURST 1 - SEPT. 9, 2015)• No. 1-ranked Millersville field hockey amassed 24 goals and 21 penalty corners for a 3-1 win at Mercyhurst. Millersville recorded 21 more shots and drew 16 more penalty corners that the homestanding Lakers. Seventeen of those shots were placed on goal. It was the third time in as many games that the Marauders totaled at least 20 shots, and they have now out-shot their opponents 70-10 over three games.
• Three players accounted for Millersville's three goals. Junior
Arianna Grays scored her first of the season,
Olivia Hershey scored her second and sophomore
Kathleen Bishop scored her third.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT• After starting the season 0-4, Mercyhurst has won three of the last four games and took No. 5 Kutztown to the wire in its last outing. The Lakers have played just two of their first eight games on the road. The Lakers are led on offense by Jessica Brandon and Katelyn Smith who have both scored four goals. Sam Takac has started all eight games in goal and owns a .739 saves percentage. Mercyhurst's 2.25 goals against average is seventh in the 11-team PSAC. The Lakers lead the PSAC in penalty corners drawn with 108. They are the only team with more than 100.
CLOSING IN ON HISTORY•
Shelly Behrens came to Millersville in 2008, taking over a program that had endured nine conseuctive losing seasons. Following a 7-11 record in 2011, Millersville has gone 60-13 since the start of 2012. Now with a 92-56 (.622) career record, Behrens ranks second at Millersville in career coaching wins. Hall of famer Sandy Peters went 98-68-30 (.577) over 17 seasons from 1968-84. Behrens recently passed Carol Miller (86-51-18), who coached Millersville from 1985-92 and went on to coach at Delaware and Lebanon Valley College. Behrens has won three consecutive PSAC Coach of the Year awards.
• Behrens is also looking to give Millersville's its fourth conecutive winning season--a feat that hasn't been accomplished since 1992-98.
