October 9, 2012

Overall/Conference Stats (pdf)

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The Ivy League field hockey teams took a break from conference play, but a tough non-conference schedule meant there was no relaxing for the Ancient Eight.

Princeton and Cornell each went 2-0 on the week. Before dispatching American, 2-0, the fourth-ranked Tigers defeated No. 5 Maryland, 3-2, thanks to a gamewinning goal by sophomore Sydney Kirby in the 50th minute. Cornell took down Colgate, 3-2, and Georgetown, 3-1, to extend its winning streak to four games, its longest since winning five in a row during the 2010 season.

Dartmouth, Columbia and Penn each went 1-1 on the week, thanks to wins over Providence, Rider and Radford, respectively.

It’s back to conference action this coming week, as the first-place Tigers look to remain undefeated in League play with a contest against Brown on Saturday. That same day, Dartmouth will host Yale and Harvard will take on Cornell. Penn and Columbia will square off on Friday. In non-conference action, Columbia will face No. 18 Drexel and Yale will travel to take on Vermont.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cornell junior Hannah Balleza (Severna Park, Md.) led her team to a 2-0 week, posting seven points on two goals and three assists in the two games. Balleza had a hand in five of the six Cornell goals last week, as the Big Red defeated Colgate, 3-2, and Georgetown, 3-1.

Balleza assisted on the first two goals of the game against Colgate and then scored an insurance goal, which proved to be crucial, because the Raiders came back late in the contest. Balleza then scored the game-winner against Georgetown and assisted on the Big Red's final goal of the game.

Balleza earned Cornell’s second Player of the Week honor this season, as Carolyn Horner received the award on Oct. 2. It marks the first time Cornell took home at least two Player of the Week awards in one season since 2009, when Kelly Kantarian (Sept. 8) and Catie De Stio (Sept. 22) each received the award. For Balleza, the award is the third of her career but her first since earning Rookie of the Week twice in 2010.

Balleza’s Weekly Stats
2 GP, 2G, 3A, 7 Pts., 2 Shots, 2 SOG, 1 GW

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
For the fourth time this season, one school took home both awards as Cornell freshman Marisa Siergiej (Harrison City, Pa.) became the first Big Red to receive Rookie of the Week since Balleza took home the honor on Oct. 26, 2010.

Siergiej had a hand in four of Cornell’s six goals last week, including the first two against Colgate and a goal and an assist against Georgetown. She scored the gamewinner against the Raiders and assisted on the gamewinner against the Hoyas.

Columbia, Penn and Princeton previously swept the awards this season, but the Tigers were the only team not to share either of the accolades, as Princeton’s Kathleen Sharkey and Teresa Benvenuti received Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Sept. 18.

It marks the first time Cornell received both awards since Brenna Gulotta was both Player and Rookie of the Week on Sept. 20, 2005. It’s the first time that two Cornell athletes swept the awards since Nov. 14, 1995, when Molly Kauffman was named Player and Emily Robb shared Rookie of the Week honors.

Siergiej’s Weekly Stats
2 GP, 3G, 1A, 7 Pts., 7 Shots, 7 SOG, 1 GW

HONOR ROLL
Katie DeSandis, Columbia (Sr., D – Emmaus, Pa.)
2 GP, 1G, 1A, 3 Pts., 2 Shots, 2 SOG, 1 DS

Sarah Hasson, Penn (Sr., F – Warrington, Pa.)
2 GP, 2G, 4 Pts., 7 Shots, 4 SOG

Elizabeth Hitti, Penn (Fr., M – Ashland, Mass.)
2 GP, 2A, 2 Pts.

Sydney Kirby, Princeton (So., D – Cleveland Heights, Ohio)
2 GP, 1G, 2 Pts., 5 Shots, 3 SOG, 1 GW

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, October 8
Brown at Maine, 12pm

Friday, October 12
*Columbia at Penn, 6:15pm

Saturday, October 13
*Yale at Dartmouth, 12pm
*Brown at No. 4 Princeton, 12pm
*Cornell at Harvard, 12pm

Sunday, October 14
No. 18 Drexel at Columbia, 1pm
Yale at Vermont, 2pm

KEY
*-Ivy League Contest

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
September 4 – Kathleen Sharkey (Princeton)
September 11 – Gabby Kozlowski (Columbia)/Katie Reinprecht (Princeton)
September 18 – Kathleen Sharkey (Princeton)
September 25 – Maggie Scanlon (Dartmouth)/Sarah Hasson (Penn)
October 2 – Carolyn Horner (Cornell)
October 9 – Hannah Balleza (Cornell)
October 16 –
October 23 –
October 30 –
November 6 –

ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
September 4 – Elizabeth Hitti (Penn)
September 11 – Anna Scipioni (Columbia)
September 18 – Teresa Benvenuti (Princeton)
September 25 – Elizabeth Hitti (Penn)
October 2 – Alexis Miller (Brown)/Elizabeth Jacobson (Harvard)
October 9 – Marisa Siergiej (Cornell)
October 16 –
October 23 –
October 30 –
November 6 –

HONOR ROLL
September 4 – Liza Masini (Dartmouth), Shannon McSweeney (Brown), Christie O’Hara (Columbia), Hannah Rogers (Brown), Julie Tahan (Penn), Cynthia Tassapoulos (Harvard)
September 11 – Mary Beth Barham (Yale), Amelia Cohen (Penn), Clayton Christus (Brown), Elizabeth Hitti (Penn), Hannah Rogers (Brown)
September 18 – Molly Andrews (Columbia), Hannah Balleza (Cornell), Mary Beth Barham (Yale), Christina Freibott (Columbia), Shannon McSweeney (Brown)
September 25 – Hannah Balleza (Cornell), Erica Borgo (Yale), Maddie Copeland (Princeton), Liz Malone (Columbia), Hannah Rogers (Brown), Kathleen Sharkey (Princeton), Brooke Van Valkenburg (Dartmouth)
October 2 – Allison Evans (Princeton), Ellen Meyer (Dartmouth), Meghan O’Donnell (Brown), Carly Sokach (Penn), Cynthia Tassopoulos (Harvard)
October 9 – Katie DeSandis (Columbia), Sarah Hasson (Penn), Elizabeth Hitti (Penn), Syndey Kirby (Princeton)
October 16 –
October 23 –
October 30 –
November 6 –

WEEKLY AWARD HISTORY

Player of the Week
School	Last Occurence	Player
Brown	November 2, 2010*	Leslie Springmeyer
Columbia	September 11, 2012*	Gabby Kozlowski
Cornell	October 9, 2012	Hannah Balleza
Dartmouth	September 25, 2012*	Maggie Scanlon
Harvard	September 27, 2011	Carly Dickson
Penn	September 25, 2012*	Sarah Hasson
Princeton	September 18, 2012	Kathleen Sharkey
Yale	November 1, 2011	Erin Carter
Rookie of the Week
School	Last Occurence	Player
Brown	October 2, 2012*	Alexis Miller
Columbia	September 12, 2012	Anna Scipioni
Cornell	October 9, 2012	Marisa Siergiej
Dartmouth	September 27, 2011	Ali Savage
Harvard	October 2, 2012*	Elizabeth Jacobson
Penn	September 25, 2012	Elizabeth Hitti
Princeton	September 18, 2012	Teresa Benvenuti
Yale	November 9, 2010	Erica Borgo

*Shared honor