WBB: Hofstra Releases 2015-16 Schedule

Hempstead, N.Y. – Matchups against six teams with winning records, five postseason participants and two NCAA Tournament qualifiers will highlight Hofstra's non-conference portion of the schedule that Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey released today.

The Pride's 11 non-league opponents had a 182-161 record in 2014-15. Hofstra will oppose three 20-win teams in the run up to the start of Colonial Athletic Association play that will commence in January and includes two games against a James Madison squad that was nationally ranked last season.

"We're eager to build on a successful season and get back to work to improve," Kilburn-Steveskey said. "This challenging non-conference schedule will provide a good benchmark for where we are as a program and the strong competition will help us prepare for the CAA season."

The non-league slate will prepare Hofstra for a challenging 18-game CAA regular season docket that starts Jan. 3 with a contest against Delaware at the Mack Sports Complex. All dates for CAA games are subject to change.

Hofstra will open the season with three straight games against winning programs and two playoff qualifiers. The Pride will host Navy at the Mack Sports Complex on Opening Day Nov. 13.

On Nov. 17, Hofstra will host local-rival Stony Brook. The Seawolves went 17-14 and made the WBI last season. It will be the first matchup between the Long Island-based schools since the 2009-10 season. Hofstra is 5-1 in the all-time series.

Hofstra's first road game of the season will feature a strong non-league test as the Pride takes on the defending Patriot League-champion American University on Nov. 19. American went 24-9 a season ago. It will be the first meeting between the schools since the 1983-84 campaign. A road game at Fairfield will continue the road swing on Nov. 24.

For the first time since 2011, Hofstra will venture outside the contiguous United States by participating in the San Juan Shootout from Nov. 27-28. Hofstra will face a talented Oregon State team in the opener from the Mario Quijote Morales Colisuem. The Beavers went 27-5 last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round and garnered a year-end No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Hofstra will then face Coastal Carolina the next day.

Buffalo will enter the Mack Sports Complex to start December for Hofstra. Like Hofstra, Buffalo made the 2015 WNIT. Tipoff for the Dec. 3 contest is set for 7 p.m.

Saint Joseph's will come to Hempstead for a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6. Hofstra will then close the calendar year and the non-league schedule on a three-game road trip starting at UMass on Dec. 9. A break for finals means Hofstra won't resume action until Dec. 20 against a Marist squad that also made the WNIT and finished 21-12. Hofstra will close the month at Delaware State on Dec. 30.

Following the CAA opener versus Delaware, Hofstra will embark on the first two separate three-game conference road trips with a road game at Elon on Jan. 8 followed by a contest at Charleston on Jan. 10.

The Pride will head back on the road with a road game at UNCW on Jan. 15 followed by a home game versus William & Mary two days later. That will kick-off a three-game homestand that will continue Jan. 22 versus Northeastern and Jan. 24 versus Towson.

January will end with a road game at Drexel on the 29th and a home game versus Elon on the 31st. Defending CAA-champion James Madison will visit the Mack Sports Complex on Feb. 5 in a rematch of the 2015 conference championship title game.

Hofstra will conclude the season series against the Tigers on Feb. 7 in a road game. That will start the second three-game road swing that will continue on Feb. 12 at William & Mary and Feb. 14 at James Madison, where Hofstra posted a win over the nationally ranked Dukes at the Convocation Center last year.

Hofstra will start a stretch of three home games in four contests versus UNCW on Feb. 19. A road game at Delaware two days later will mark the only interlude in the home swing as the Pride will host Drexel on Feb. 26 and take on Charleston on Senior Day Feb. 28. The regular season will conclude at Northeastern on March 2.

The CAA Championship will take place March 9-12 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Hofstra went 20-13 and advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship title game for the first time in program history in 2014-15 under Kilburn-Steveskey. The Pride returns four starters from a squad that qualified for the WNIT.

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