The Pioneer Trail: Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014

9/30/2014 10:23:00 AM

Field Hockey vs. Adelphi - 4 p.m.
In the team's home opener, the green and gold will welcome local rival Adelphi to Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. The seventh-ranked Pioneers (3-1) began the season on a road trip that concluded with a 4-1 victory over then-No. 5 East Stroudsburg on Sept. 23.

Leading LIU Post to the win was junior forward Keliann Margiotta (Sewell, N.J.), who scored her third hat trick in four contests on the season. The two-time Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week leads the Pioneers with 11 goals and 24 total points so far. Margiotta also collected a milestone tally in the team's last win, as her hat trick gave her 50 career goals in a green and gold uniform.

The team has more weapons after Margiotta, as senior forward Lyn-Marie Wilson (Bridgetown, Barbados, W.I.) has five assists to pace the Pioneers. Eight players have scored a goal for LIU Post this season, including a pair of first-time scorers in freshman forward Kaycee Zelkovsky (Lambertville, N.J.) and senior defender Taylor-Bay Sutton (Phillipsburg, N.J.). Sophomore goalkeepers Ericka Parks (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Meredith Stocklin (Mount Laurel, N.J.) have each posted a shutout and are holding opponents to a combined 0.97 goals-against average.

Adelphi (5-1) started its campaign with a 7-0 shutout loss at the hands of East Stroudsburg on Sept. 7. Since then, however, the Panthers have outscored their opponents, 21-4, and posted three consecutive clean sheets and five victories in a row. The visitors are coming off of a 2-0 win against American International on Saturday (Sept. 27). Junior forward Mary Plotas (Brookeville, Md.) scored both goals and leads the team on the season with eight goals and 19 total points.

Women's Soccer vs. Caldwell - 4 p.m.
Riding a six-game winning streak, the LIU Post women's soccer team starts a five-game homestand at Pioneer Soccer Park with a non-conference tilt against Caldwell.

Senior defender Lauren Bellone (West Islip, N.Y.) starred for the Pioneers (6-1) in their latest victory, a 3-0 blanking of NYIT on Saturday (Sept. 27) in the Battle of the Boulevard. Bellone scored twice in the second half to break open a scoreless tie and propel the Pioneers to the win. She scored her first tally in the 65th minute, and followed that up four minutes later for the brace. Freshman forward Alex Lynn (Sydney, Australia) capped the scoring with her second goal of the year, and sophomore keeper Hreffie Agnarsdottir (Reykjavik, Iceland) made two saves for her fourth shutout of 2014.

Offensive weapons are abundant for the Pioneers, led by junior forward Susanne Vistnes (Randaberg, Norway). The ECC Preseason Player of the Year is the team's leader in goals (5), assists (4) and points (14). Bellone has struck the back of the net three times this season, while sophomore Julia Backman (Morsil, Sweden) has contributed four goals to the effort.

Caldwell (3-3-2) enters today's contest on a two-game win streak, including a 2-0 shutout of CACC foe Wilmington on Saturday (Sept. 27). Freshmen Randall Stafford (Redwood City, Calif.) and Shelagh Kerrisk (Keansburg, N.J.) opened their accounts on the season with a goal apiece to lead the Cougars. On the season, senior Natalie Migoya (Lincoln Park, N.J.) holds the team-lead with three goals and eight points.

Volleyball at Bridgeport - 7 p.m.
Harvey Hubbell Gymansium will play host to a match featuring the top two teams in the ECC's preseason poll. LIU Post (8-7) edged out Bridgeport (10-1) for the top overall spot in the tally prior to the beginning of play.

The Pioneers were defeated in their last match, a 3-0 loss to Saint Rose at Pratt Recreation Center on Friday (Sept. 26). Junior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led the green and gold with nine kills and five total blocks in the effort. Sophomore Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) collected a career-high 23 digs, and freshman middle blocker Heather Ball (Gilbert, Ariz.) added six kills and four digs.

Through 15 matches, freshman outside hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) is building a strong case for postseason recognition. Valenza leads the team with 163 kills, hitting at a 10.1 kills per match clip. She also has amassed 123 digs and 31 total blocks. Senior setter Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy) has dished out a team-high 347 assists, while junior Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) has proved to be a viable dual threat, collecting 57 kills and 111 assists.

The Purple Knights are winners of their last seven matches, six of which have been completed in three-set sweeps. In the team's 3-0 victory over NYIT on Thursday (Sept. 25), senior Biljana Savic (Novi Sad, Serbia) posted eight kills, 13 assists and 10 digs. Savic, named the Preseason Player of the Year in the ECC, is second on the team with 97 kills and 157 assists. Graduate setter Giovana Soares (Sao Paulo, Brazil) has dished out 218 assists for Bridgeport, while senior libero Michele Santos (Campinas, Brazil) holds the team-lead with 160 digs.