Over the last two seasons, the Roanoke College field hockey team has entered the ODAC Tournament field, which consists of the top six teams of the conference. In 2013, head coach Briana Banks, who is in her fourth season at the helm of the program, looks for the Maroons to build off of that success from the past two campaigns.
Roanoke will look to veteran players to help build a successful season. The Maroons return two All-ODAC players in Kelly Finn and Stacy Bechtel. Finn was a Second Team All-ODAC performer, scoring a team-high five goals in the season. Bechtel took Third Team All-ODAC honors in 2012, leading the team in defensive saves with two.
"Kelly Finn will take charge with our young midfield this season while Stacy Bechtel will help continue stopping our opponents in the defensive unit," Banks said.
Also returning to the squad in 2013 is co-captain of the 2012 team, Shannon McCarthy. McCarthy will be a strong leader of both the midfield and defense.
Banks' team will also benefit from having a deep roster, as there are 19 freshmen joining the ranks this season. Banks is confident that the large core of first year players will be a huge benefit for her team.
"(The freshmen) are all extremely talented players that will all have a great opportunity to get in the starting line-up," Banks stated. "This class is full of all positions, including solid defenders as well as girls that know how to put the ball in the back of the net!"
The field hockey team will get their first opportunity at action on Friday, August 30th as they travel to Lexington, VA to take on Goucher College. Roanoke continues a string of non-conference games through the month of September, taking on Centre, Sewanee, Mary Washington, Kean, and Moravian. Later in the season, the Maroons will also play McDaniel and Rhodes in non-conference action. Roanoke's non-conference opponents combine for a 2012 record of 79-65, including Mary Washington who went 20-2 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals. Roanoke will play Mary Washington in the Maroons' home opener on September 15th, at 2:00 PM.
Roanoke's ODAC play opens up against two teams that the Maroons defeated in 2012. Roanoke's ODAC opener will be against Virginia Wesleyan on September 28th at Kerr Stadium. The Maroons will then travel to play Eastern Mennonite on October 2nd in Harrisonburg. Roanoke defeated the Marlins 5-1, and the Royals 1-0 last year.
Roanoke finishes the remainder of its ODAC stretch, starting on October 15th as they travel to Lexington to face Washington and Lee. The Maroons final two contests will be at home as they take on Lynchburg, who advanced to the NCAA Regional Final in 2012, and Shenandoah.
In discussing what would make a successful ODAC season, Banks says that the main goal is to execute on offense.
"We have come up short against the few teams in the past couple of seasons, so a successful year would include conquering some of those teams by executing our offensive strategy."
The Maroons look for their third straight trip to the ODAC tournament, but they also want to make a statement in doing so.
"I would like to see us double our win total from last season, plus some," Banks proclaimed.
The Roanoke field hockey home opener will take place on Sunday, September 15th as they play host to the University of Mary Washington. That contest is scheduled for a 2:00 PM start.
