University of Connecticut Athletics

Sixth-Ranked Field Hockey Takes On Rider in NCAA Tournament Friday
4/29/2021 1:15:00 PM | Field Hockey
STORRS, Conn. – The No. 6 University of Connecticut field hockey team is set to square-off against in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship on Friday, April 30. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex and the contest will be live streamed on NCAA.com.
The Huskies boast a rich NCAA Tournament history, which includes 32 appearances and national championships in 1981, 1985, 2013, 2014 and 2017. UConn owns the fifth-highest winning percentage in NCAA Tournament play at .639 (46-26) and its 46 victories rank fourth in tournament history.
Connecticut is fourth all-time with 15 championship round appearances and its 10-game NCAA Tournament winning streak, which resulted in the 2013 and 2014 national championships, is the third-longest all-time.
Rider is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and will be seeking its first win on Friday.
UConn is led by BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and BIG EAST Tournament MOP Sophie Hamilton. The sophomore star made her NCAA Tournament debut for the Huskies in 2019 and did so in dramatic fashion, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Huskies past Fairfield and into the quarterfinal round.
Hamilton has scored 17 goals and has dished-out 14 assists in 12 games for UConn this season. She has recorded multiple points in nine of those 12 games and has scored multiple goals on six occasions.
Sophomore back Claire Jandewerth is second with eight goals while senior Jessica Dembrowski is second with 19 points, coming via six goals and seven assists. BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year Claire van den Noort has had a remarkable rookie year and stands second on the team with eight assists to go along with five goals for 18 points.
The Connecticut defense held the opposition scoreless in 10 of the 12 games it has played this season and the Huskies are outshooting the opposition by a 240-40 count.