Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra University Field Hockey program begins its 18th season under head coach Kathy De Angelis with two home games at the Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium this weekend.
 
The Pride, coming off a 12-7 overall mark including a 3-3 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association, will host the Catamounts of Vermont on Friday, August 28 at 1 p.m. before entertaining the Raiders of Colgate on Sunday, August 30 at 11:00 a.m. Audio of both games can be accessed via Pride Productions and fans can access live stats for both games on GoHofstra.com as well.

Hofstra returns 19 players, including nine starters, from their squad that came within one victory of qualifying for the CAA Championship. But the two starters lost to graduation were key members in 2014 CAA Player of the Year, Jonel Boileau and four-year standout Holly Andrews. Boileau ended her stellar career by leading the conference with16 goals and six assists for 38 points and becoming Hofstra's first conference field hockey player of the year. Andrews started 62 of the 75 games that she played in on defense and at midfield over her career.

But the Hofstra cupboard is far from bare as a large number of veterans and starters return. Leading that group is junior forward Claudia Marin Samper, who was in the top four in the CAA with 13 goals, eight assists and 34 points. The Terrassa, Spain native was named to the All-CAA first team and the NFHCA All-Mideast Region second team. Running on the same attack line as Marin Samper is classmate and Hamburg, Germany native Stella Schoen. The 2013 All-CAA first team selection and NFHCA All-Mideast Region second team pick was slowed by a leg injury last season that caused her to miss seven games. But she still recorded six goals and seven assists for 19 points in 12 games to earn All-CAA second team honors. Senior Lauren del Valle (Exton, PA) posted a career-best four goals last season and tied the school mark by scoring all four in an early season game against Colgate. Freshman Madison Reed (Sugarloaf, PA), who tallied nine goals and 15 assists as a senior at Hazleton Area High School last year, is making a late push to crack the starting line-up on attack.

The starting midfield returns intact from a year ago and is led by senior Charlotte Loehr (Mainz, Germany). The fourth year standout recorded career-highs of 10 goals, three assists and 23 points while starting all 19 contests. Two juniors will join Loehr at midfield in Colby Hussong (Princeton Junction, NJ) and Emily Gallagher (North Wales, PA). Hussong tallied four assists while Gallagher added three assists with each starting all 19 games.

Like the attack and midfield, the Pride defense is experienced and talented and led by a workhorse in junior Carissa Witmer (Ephrata, PA). Witmer, who has started all 39 games and logged the most playing time the past two seasons, tallied a goal and an assist in 2014. She is joined by classmates Sauni Davenport (Kingston, PA), who started seven of 17 games last season and Leigh Maxwell-Smith (Vancouver, BC, Canada), who posted four assists in 18 games. The fourth member of the defense is sophomore Simca Schoen, who is coming off a CAA Rookie of the Year campaign last season. The Hamburg, Germany native and younger sister of teammate, Stella, set the Hofstra freshman record with 11 assists to go with her four goals in 2014. She was also named to the All-CAA and NFHCA All-Mid-East Region second team.

Sophomores Carys Swan (Kelowna, BC, Canada), who started 17 of the 19 games that she played in as a freshman, and Lauren Saltus (Centreville, VA), who started twice, have been in a battle for the starting job in goal this season. Swan, a CAA All-Rookie Team pick, posted a 2.42 goals against average with 76 saves and a .644 save percentage. As a team, the Pride averaged 2.94 goals per game and allowed 2.78 per contest

The Catamounts of Vermont are coming off a 3-15 campaign last season including a 4-0 loss to Hofstra last September. The Catamounts return 14 players from last year including leading scorer, sophomore midfielder Taylor Gaines, who tallied five goals and two assists. Senior forward Molly Higgins added three goals and four assists. Like Hofstra, both goalies who started games last season, return for Vermont this year. Sophomore Lena Benwood posted a 2.81 goals against average while starting 13 of the 15 games that she played. Junior Emily Snowden, started five of her six games and had a 3.92 GAA. The Catamounts scored 21 goals and allowed 58 in 18 games last year.

The Raiders of Colgate return 15 players from last year's 5-12 team. Leading the "Gate is junior forward Whitney Jones, who tallied six goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Jessica Gardiner recorded two goals and a team-high seven assists. The Raiders' starting goalie from 2014 has graduated leaving a battle between sophomore Maria Krull, who started two of her four games with a 4.76 GAA last season, and freshman Jaccqueline Li. Colgate scored 25 goals and allowed 63 last season. The Pride defeated the Raiders, 7-1 in Hamilton, New York last August.