HARTFORD, Conn. - The Trinity College field hockey team will face the Kean University Cougars on Saturday, November 13 at 2 p.m. at Babson College's McDowell Field in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament Second Round after shutting out St. John Fisher College, 5-0, in the opening round on Wednesday.  The No. 10-ranked Bantams, coached by Anne Parmenter (21st season), will be face No. 6-ranked Kean for the first time in school history.  Trinity is 13-5 and Kean, which received a bye in the tournament to advance to tomorrow's game, is 19-2. The host Babson Beavers will face off on Saturday against Messiah University at 11 a.m., with the winner of that matchup playing the victor of Trinity vs. Kean in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Sunday at 1 pm. The Final Four will be held on Trinity's Sheppard Field on November 20, with the NCAA Division III National Championship the next day.



Against St. John Fisher, Trinity sophomore midfielder Katrina Winfield (Wilmington, Del.) put the Bantams ahead just 1:16 into the game on a nice feed from classmate Molly King (Canton, Mass.) for the only goal of the first half. In the second half, senior captains Meghan Evans (Hooksett, N.H.), Caelin Flaherty (Upton, Mass.), and Christine Taylor (Westport, Conn.) each scored a goal before Winfield added her second of the contest to make it, 5-0.  On the defensive side, Trinity let up just two shots on goal, both saved by sophomore Olivia McMichael (Glenside, Pa.), and one penalty corner.

Flaherty is one of the top finishers in the nation with 19 goals and five assists this autumn.  Trinity sophomore M/F Jackie Frank (Longmeadow, Mass.), who had an assist on Wednesday, adds 13 goals, including a team-high four gamewinners, and three assists for 29 points, and senior captain forward India Shay (Southborough, Mass.) has six goals and two assists for 14 points.  Winfield leads the Bantams in assists with six to go with three goals for 12 points, and Taylor has four goals and two assists. McMichael has 47 saves for an .783 save percentage and a 1.13 GAA in the cage, playing behind Trinity's steady defense that includes King, junior Elle Fair (Westport, Conn.), and first-year Isabella Deveney (Westport, Conn.), who have yielded just 128 shots this fall.  The Bantams have benefited from a consistent starting lineup throughout the fall with eight players starting in all 18 contests, including the whole back line and midfielders Riley Nichols (Austin, Texas), who also had an assist against St. John Fisher, and Kylie Tierney (Garden City, N.Y.).  Evans has played in every game with 15 starts and rookie Ashley Zigler (Falls Church, Va.) has also played in all 18 games for the Bantam offense.  Flaherty was named to the All-NESCAC First Team this week, and both Frank and Taylor graced the All-NESCAC Second Team. 

 Kean, coached by Leslie LaFronz (13th season), had a six -game winning streak snapped with a 1-0 loss against Rowan in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament on November 6.  Both of its losses this fall were against the Rowan PRofs. Forward Jordan Thompson is the team's most dangerous offensive threat, leading Kean in goals with 17. Midfielder Lia DiPiazza is also dangerous as a passer, tallying an impressive 15 assists. On defense, Kean is led by Krista O'Grady, who has four defensive saves, and Jenna Flemings, who has let up just 0.83 goals per game with a .837 save percentage.