LOUISVILLE, Ky. —  Bellarmine field hockey approaches its final two matches of the season this weekend with a road trip to Kent State and Saint Francis.

The Knights face Kent in their final MAC match of the season on Friday at 3:00 p.m.  BU will then take on Saint Francis in Loretto, PA on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to round out the year.

Bellarmine (4-13, 2-4 MAC) turned in strong efforts against ranked opponents the past two weekends.  With losses to no. 24 Duke and no. 18 Ohio State, along with defeats versus Ball State and Ohio, Bellarmine will try to get back in the win column starting Friday.

While the Knights have been eliminated from the MAC Tournament race, Bellarmine can still surpass its win total from last year with one more victory this season.
On the forward line, Amber Hofenk Jerembo scored her 12^th goal of the season against Ohio State, pushing her in to a tie for first place in the MAC in goals scored.   Defensively, Grace Dukes has recorded eight defensive saves this year, which ranks third in the nation.

Kent State (7-8, 5-1 MAC) is tied for first place in the conference.  The Golden Flashes' only loss in MAC play came at Miami Ohio (2-1).  Most recently, KSU defeated Longwood (3-2, PS) and lost at no. 7 Virginia 3-0 last weekend.  Patricia Strunk leads the team with five goals, while Larissa Balachick has a team-best seven assists.  The Golden Flashes claimed a 5-0 win over Bellarmine in Louisville last year. 

Saint Francis (6-11, 4-2 NEC) has won two straight and is 3-2 at home this season.  The Red Flash are 1-3 against MAC teams this season with losses to Ball State, Miami Ohio, and Ohio.  Their lone win against MAC school was a 6-2 victory over Central Michigan.  Eva Valentini is SFU's top threat with 12 goals and five assists this season.  Last season, Bellarmine scored a DI era record six goals in a 6-2 win over Saint Francis at Frazier Stadium.  Marit van der Bend scored twice, while Hofenk Jerembo, Peyton Hobson, Julia Doornebos, and Teresa Schmidt also scored for Bellarmine.

Friday's game can be viewed on Boxcast, while Sunday's contest can be seen on NEC Front Row.

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