Oct. 30, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - The 2007 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship will be held at Finnesey Field this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, Saint Joseph's will face top-seeded Temple in the first semifinal, while Massachusetts and Richmond will contest the other. The winners will face-off on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the conference title.

Saint Joseph's finished the regular season 10-8 overall with a 4-3 record in Atlantic 10 play. The Hawks come into the tournament having won three out of their final four games and nine of their last 13 after a 1-4 start. The Hawks have counted on an outstanding defense, backstopped by the 2006 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, senior goalkeeper Rebecca Cunfer. The SJU offense has also been powered by the emergence of freshman standout Jen Wrublesky, as well as significant contributions from veterans Theresa Barbati and Marisa Pizzi.

Cunfer currently ranks second in the conference with a 1.17 goals against average. Her four shutouts this season place her in a tie for second place in the conference, and her 17 career shutouts are the second-most in Saint Joseph's history. The Hawk defense, led by seniors Brooke Henry and Katie Young and sophomore Mary Beaman, has been stout, limiting opponents to just 110 shots on goal in 18 matches. Young has also contributed offensively, tallying eight assists.

Wrublesky leads the team in both goals (nine) and points (22). She is tied for third in the Atlantic 10 in both categories, and leads all league freshmen in those categories as well. On Monday she was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season. Barbati leads the team with nine assists, a number that also ranks second in the conference. Coupled with her three goals, Barbati's 15 points place her second on the SJU squad. Pizzi is right on her heels with 14 points (six goals, two assists). Pizzi and Wrublesky are tied for second in the Atlantic 10 with four game-winning goals apiece.

Temple (15-5, 6-1 Atlantic 10) enters play on a six-game winning streak. In goal, the Owls will rely on junior Erin Hanshue and her 1.68 goals against average. The Owls are paced offensively by senior Alli Lokey. Lokey's 18 goals, 10 assists, and 46 points are all tops in the Atlantic 10. Sophomore Dannah Brehm has contributed nine goals, eight assists, and 26 points to the Owl attack, ranking second in the conference in scoring.

The Hawks and Owls will face-off at 11:00 a.m. on Friday at Finnesey Field. In their last meeting, the Owls used three goals from Brehm to secure a 4-2 victory last Saturday afternoon.