Hempstead, NY - A
nine-game home schedule highlights the 2010 Hofstra University Field Hockey
schedule, Pride head coach Kathy De Angelis announced Friday.
In
addition to the nine home contests at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium, the
18-game Pride schedule includes match-ups against five teams that were ranked
in the final 2009 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) regular
season Top 20 poll, and two NCAA Championship participants.
"We are looking forward to an exciting and challenging 2010 schedule," De
Angelis said. "It is essential that we maintain a challenging slate of
opponents in preparation for the tough Colonial Athletic Association regular
season as well as the CAA Championship tournament."
Hofstra will open the 2010 season in the Capital Land College Classic at the University
at Albany on Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29 against two ranked opponents
from last season. On Saturday the 28th, the Pride will face Boston University,
which was ranked 20th in the final regular season poll last season, and the
host Great Danes of Albany, America East regular season champions, on Sunday
the 29th. Albany was ranked 18th last season.
The Pride will open their home schedule on Saturday, September 4 when the
University of Vermont comes to Hempstead for a 1 p.m. contest. The Vermont contest
is the start of five home games in six outings that will have Sacred Heart
(September 5), Rider (September 12), Fairfield (September 18) and Siena (September
19) visiting the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium around a road game at Columbia on
September 8.
Following the Siena contest, Hofstra will embark on a four-game road trip that
will also see the Pride open their CAA season.
Hofstra, which finished 12-8 last season and qualified for its sixth
consecutive CAA Championship tournament before losing to Drexel in the
semifinals, will travel to the CAA runner-up and NCAA Championship participant
Dragons in Philadelphia on September 24. Drexel was ranked 10th in the country
heading into the NCAA Championships. The Pride will then travel to Yale on
September 26 before returning to conference games at James Madison on October 1
and Virginia Commonwealth on October 3. The Dukes of JMU were ranked 12th in
the final regular season poll.
Hofstra will return to Hempstead on October 8 against William and Mary, and
will host Old Dominion, which received votes in the final Top 20 poll, on
October 10. The Pride will take to the road for the final time during the
regular season on October 22 at Northeastern and October 24 at Maine. Both
opponents received votes in the final Top 20 poll.
The Pride will close out the regular season at home against defending CAA
champion Delaware on October 29, and Towson on October 31. The top four teams
during the CAA regular season will qualify for the CAA Championship Tournament
at the site of the highest seed on Saturday and Sunday, November 6-7.
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