THE SERIES
The game marks the 31st all-time meeting between the two programs, dating back to the first contest in 1974 - a 2-1 Springfield victory. The Pride lead 27-2-1.

LAST MEETING
On a historic night for the Smith field hockey program, the Pioneers advanced to the semifinals of the NEWMAC field hockey tournament with their 5-0 shutout win over Springfield on November 3, 2015. It was the first victory over the Pride since the 2002 season.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE
Springfield enters Saturday's contest after a 3-0 win over Johnson & Wales Thursday night. In that game, the Pride held a 32-4 advantage in shots and received goals from Gabby Guerard, Belle Copponi and Maggie Kennedy. Freshman forward Taylor Conley (12-3-27) ranks fourth in the NEWMAC in goals and fifth in points while junior forward Maggie Kennedy (10-6-26) is in the top-10 in goals, assists and points. Sophomore goalkeeper Emmalie Drake (3.29 gaa/.696 save pct) and freshman keeper Abbey Doherty (2.49 gaa/.754 save pct) have split time between the pipes this season. Springfield averages 2.3 goals per game and was picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Smith dropped a 7-2 decision to No. 10 Amherst College Wednesday evening. Bayleigh Bogan (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) and Julia Hamilton (Williamstown, Mass./Deerfield Academy) each scored for the Pioneers while goalkeeper Cameo Tietje (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) made a season-high 18 saves. Julia Hamilton (Williamstown, Mass./Deerfield Academy) (7-2-16), senior Elsie Odhiambo (Oyugis, Kenya/Kisumu Girls School) (5-2-12) and sophomore Emily Biggs (Florence, Mass./Northampton) (4-0-8) have combined to score seven game-winning goals, while sophomore Bayleigh Bogan (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) (2-4-8) leads the team in assists. Tietje, who leads the conference with 113 saves, has posted a 2.97 goals against average and a .764 save percentage this season. The Pioneers average 1.60 goals per game and were picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Coaches Poll.

PLAY4THECURE
All nine New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) field hockey institutions will be participating in the Play4theCure Day as part of October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Babson hosted Wheaton College on Tuesday for the event due to a bye this weekend, while the other eight schools will hold their official day on Saturday.

Those four games feature Wellesley College at Clark University at 11 a.m., Wheaton at WPI at 12 p.m., Springfield College at Smith College at 12 p.m., and MIT at Mount Holyoke College at 1 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support this worthy cause. All proceeds from each of the sites will be donated to the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) and be put toward research in breast cancer and lymphoma. Donations can be made online or at the game with cash or checks made payable to NFCR. Play4theCure and NFCR teamed up to fight cancer in May 2013.

Tina Reinprecht, who is the founder, director and head coach of Mystx Field Hockey Club in Feasterville, Pa., and a current board member of USA Field Hockey, founded Play4theCure in 2006. An inaugural indoor benefit tournament for breast cancer research was held, and over $11,000 was raised in two years.

Play4theCure has since expanded to include many recreational sports programs, as well as middle school, high school and collegiate teams. Play4theCure's corporate partner, Longstreth Women's Sports, provides free cancer awareness kits that contain ideas and promotional materials for raising funds. The kits also include a pink field hockey ball and wristbands to participating field hockey teams.

The NFCR is a leading cancer research charity dedicated to funding cancer research and public education relating to cancer prevention, earlier diagnosis, better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for cancer. Since 1973, NFCA has provided over $320 million in support of discovery-oriented cancer research. Visit NFCR.org for more information on Play4theCure.