Quinnipiac field hockey (3-7, 2-0 BIG EAST) is back in action tomorrow, with a Big East matchup against the Villanova Wildcats (2-7, 0-2 BIG EAST). This fight of the felines is a big game for both the Wildcats and the Bobcats. This will be the fourth all-time meeting between Quinnipiac and Villanova, with Quinnipiac taking two of the first three games.
For Quinnipiac, they have to keep moving forward. It’s been one step forward, and then one step back for the Bobcats. They are 3-3 in their last six games and haven’t won back-to-back. After a huge win over Liberty last Friday, they blew a lead to California and lost a game that could’ve been huge for their momentum moving forward.
As for Villanova, they are last in the Big East in the conference and 0-4 on the road. They did nab a big win against Fairfield last week though, and would love to play spoiler against a Quinnipiac team looking to improve its conference record to 3-0.
Players to Watch:
Quinnipiac: Dayna Barlow
A team captain, Barlow had a huge game against Yale mere hours after receiving the honor, scoring two goals. She did not score again in her next four games before cracking the stat sheet in Sunday’s match versus California. Barlow is an all-around player who is tied for the team lead in goals and points, so watch for her to continue her hot streak into the stretch run of the season.
Villanova: Francesca Bello
A 5’5” senior forward out of Princeton, New Jersey, Bello is the Wildcats’ leader. She led the team in goals and points the last two years, and is currently the points leader and second in goals this season. Watch for the Wildcats’ offense to flow through Bello, the team’s leader in shots.
Keys to the Game:
Quinnipiac: Play a complete game. This sounds obvious, but for a team that has struggled with consistency all year, things need to come together for Quinnipiac tomorrow against a weaker team. If the Bobcats are to make the Big East tournament, they need to at least win the games that they should win. This is one of those games.
Villanova: Cherish the role of spoilers. Sometimes, a team in a rut puts it all together when it has the chance to throw a rival off its course. And while the Wildcats haven’t had the season they’d hoped for, they have the chance to stop Quinnipiac from earning a commanding 3-0 conference record. This desire alone should fire up the Wildcats to play some solid hockey and show that they can still belong in this discussion in the wide open Big East.
The Game
Tune into the QBSN’s live broadcast of Quinnipiac vs. Villanova from the Field Hockey Turf Complex in Hamden at 3 p.m. Bryan Schwartz and Tom Krosnowski will be on the call for the game. For updates on the game, make sure to follow our @QBSN team on Twitter: @bryanschwartz15 and @Tkro42.
Link to the game: http://quinnipiacbobcats.com/watch/?Live=412&type=Live
