October 15, 2009 There's No Place Like Home
The Quinnipiac University women's soccer team will play their third home game of the season as they host Long Island University in Northeast Conference action on Friday, Oct. 16. The Bobcats and the Blackbirds will kick off at 3 p.m. at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field. In their last outing, Quinnipiac tied with Sacred Heart, 0-0, on Oct. 11.

Scouting the Blackbirds
Long Island has played to a 6-6 overall record this season with a 2-3 mark in the NEC. The Blackbirds were most recently defeated by St. Francis (PA), 1-0, on Oct. 11. Sophomore forward and 2008 NEC Player and Rookie of the Year Ariana Calderon ranks first on the team in points as she has tallied three goals and one assist this season. Freshman goalkeeper Jennifer Bannon has started all 12 games in net for Long Island, posting a .877 save percentage.

All-Time Against Long Island
The Bobcats hold a 5-6-1 record against the Blackbirds, with the teams' last meeting in Brooklyn, N.Y., last season on Oct. 17. Long Island escaped with a close 1-0 victory in overtime in that match-up. Goalkeeper Kendra Margulies (Weston, Mass.) played 94 minutes in net, recording two saves in the loss. Furtuna Velaj (Stamford, Conn.) led all players with seven shots.

Shut Down
Rookie goalkeeper Biz Cook (Appleton, Wis.) has seen a successful start to her career at Quinnipiac, compiling a 2-0-1 record in her three appearances in net. Cook recorded the Bobcats' second shutout of the season in the 0-0 tie with Sacred Heart on Oct. 11. She made five saves in the game, improving her save tally to 12 on the season.

Offensive Advantage
In the game at Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac held the offensive advantage in shots, corners, and free kicks, creating several scoring opportunities in front of the net. The Bobcats took seventeen free kicks and six corners which helped them control a 13-11 edge in shots. Junior Meagan McLoughlin (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Velaj tied to lead the Bobcats with three shots each.

One on One
Freshmen midfielders Shauna Edwards (Southington, Conn.) and Jillian Strassner (Avon, Conn.) each contributed great opportunities for the Bobcats to score against the Pioneers. Both midfielders ran a one-on-one attack on net that goalkeeper Meghan Reichelt tracked down to keep the game tied at zero.

Close Conference Competiton
The road to the NEC playoffs will be packed with close games and tough competition as the top eight teams in the conference are within points of one another. Central Connecticut and St. Francis (PA) currently rest in the top spot with 12 points (four conference wins) apiece, while Monmouth and Robert Morris are coupled in third place with 10 points (three wins, one tie). Quinnipiac, Mount St. Mary's and Sacred Heart are all tied in fifth place with seven points (two wins, one tie), and Long Island currently ranks in the eighth spot with six points (two wins). The top four finishers, based on winning percentage during the Conference's regular season will compete in the two-day, single-elimination tournament. The high seed will host the entire event on Nov. 6-8.