Aug. 26, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion field hockey team begins its 2010 season Friday as the Lady Monarchs travel to Penn State in a battle of Top 20 teams. Before the season begins though let's take a look at the 2010 squad.
Head Coach Beth Anders, the Division I all-time field hockey wins leader, enters her 28th season optimistic about the Lady Monarchs' chances of returning to both the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
Other field hockey coaches around the country also believe that ODU will be a team to reckon with this season as the Lady Monarchs were picked to finish second in the CAA and start the year ranked No. 16 in the country.
Although Old Dominion will be mixing in 10 newcomers this year, a solid core of seven starters return from last years team to lead the way. Leading the charge will be junior forward Kathryn Kirk, whose nine goals led the team in 2009. Anna Kern, who started 14 games last season, and Paige Clutter will provide senior leadership at the forward position, while Kimberly Oakes and Maartje van Rijswijk could also see significant playing time.
Senior Loran Hatch is expected to be a leader of this year's squad at the midfield position. Hatch recorded seven goals and dished out seven assists last year to finish third on the team with 21 points. Julie Hodge, a 2009 CAA All-Rookie team selection, will also take on a bigger role entering her sophomore campaign.
Midfield will be ODU's deepest position as seniors Stephanie Kratzer and Alyschia Conn could see time at that spot. Both players have national playing experience, including a 2010 Senior Women's National Championship appearance from Conn this past summer.
Seniors Amanda Bieber and Sami Richardson, along with Kratzer, will be relied on heavily on the backline. The trio combined to play in all but one contest last season. Sophomore Christy Longacre and other newcomers are expected to step in and see action immediately to bolster ODU's depth at the back spot.
Junior's Marla Petriello and Devon Seifert will look to fill the shoes of the graduated Kelly Driscoll, who now plays for the United States National Developmental Team. Petriello gained national experience herself this summer competing for the Mid-Atlantic team at the 2010 Junior Women's National Championships.
As usual, Old Dominion will be taking on one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Lady Monarchs will have home-and-home series against No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Maryland and No. 10 Duke. Additionally, ODU travels to No. 3 Virginia and No. 11 Drexel, while hosting No. 8 Syracuse, No. 12 James Madison and No. 14 Ohio State.
The season-opener Friday pits the Lady Monarchs against Penn State in a rematch of last year's first game. ODU topped the Nittany Lions 2-1 at the Powhatan Sports Complex behind a pair of assists from Loran Hatch.
-ODU-