LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine field hockey team is set to host Appalachian State at Trager Stadium Friday at 1 p.m. ET in their Mid-American Conference home opener. The Knights then hit the road for Farmville, Va., where they will face Longwood Sunday at noon ET.
 
Bellarmine (0-7, 0-1 MAC) is looking for their first win under head coach Toby Platt.
 
About the Mountaineers
Appalachian State enters at 6-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MAC following a 5-3 win over Ohio on Friday. The Mountaineers then handled Vermont their last time out on Sunday, 7-1. The lone blemish on their schedule was a 5-0 loss at No. 2 North Carolina (currently No. 1 in the RPI) on September 12. Outside of that setback, App State is averaging 5.8 goals per game and allowing just 1.5 goals per game, though their toughest opponent other than the Tar Heels has been Vermont, currently ranked 41^st in the RPI out of 83 teams.
 
Offensively, senior middie Lise Boekaar leads the team with 30 points on eight goals and 14 assists. Still, she has not been overly efficient, posting a .235 shot percentage. Junior middie Sophia Baxter (six goals, two assists) and senior forward Hadley Kuzmicky (five goals, two assists) have combined for 37 shots compared to Boekaar's 34 and have been slightly more effective, posting shot percentages of .300 and .294 respectively. Kuzmicky is a product of nearby North Oldham High School.
 
Graduate Claire Grenis has handled the goalkeeping duties for the Mountaineers. She has posted a .600 save percentage and one shutout, September 9 against Queens, after recording a .704 save percentage and authoring seven shutouts during her senior season.
 
The Knights are 0-6 all-time against ASU and last year dropped a 3-0 decision in Davidson, N.C., after the game was moved due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Kailey Workman in that game recorded a career-high 14 saves.
 
About the Lancers
Longwood is 2-6, 0-1 in the MAC, and visits James Madison on Friday before hosting Bellarmine on Sunday. The Lancers own wins over Queens (3-1) and William & Mary (1-0), but dropped their MAC opener in overtime to Ball State last Friday, 4-3. Outside of those three games, LU has been outscored 21-0 in their other five games.
 
Junior forward Channy Johnson has posted a respectable .444 shot percentage and leads the Lancers with four goals, three of them coming last weekend, and one of which was the lone score in the game with William & Mary. Freshman middie/forward Hailey Flick leads the team with 13 shots, but has netted just one goal (.077). The Lancers have scored seven goals on the season and have recorded five assists.
 
Defending MAC Goalkeeper of the Year Sophie Mooldijk has been in the cage for all 423 minutes this season and has posted a .726 save percentage, good for 31st nationally.
 
Former Knight Alexa Rastigue (2019-23) is on the Lancers' staff as an assistant coach. She is tied for Bellarmine's all-time lead in defensive saves with 16.
 
Bellarmine is 2-9 against Longwood and last year fell 2-1 at Trager Stadium. Anna Crump scored for the Knights. The two wins came in 2022 (2-1) and 2023 (3-2 in double overtime). Teresa Schmidt scored the golden goal for Bellarmine, her second score of the game, in the 2023 win.
 
Last Week
The Knights dropped their MAC opener on the road at Miami (OH), 11-0. Bellarmine fell to 0-5 all-time against the RedHawks.
 
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow the Knights on X, Instagram and Facebook.