The long wait is over and as I write this the schedule is published and allows us to plan our “field hockey treks” for this fall. The first competition is less than a month away and as I assess the schedule there will be some exciting hockey this fall with interesting and challenging opponents. The exhibition schedule opens at the beach on Aug 15 against a good Monmouth squad. Monmouth in recent years has changed conferences and their schedule has been beefed up in the process. They are a quick team that relies a lot on the fast break and will be a great preseason challenge for our rebuilding defense. Just 3 days later the challenges don’t get any easier as the Leopards host the Blue Hens of Delaware. They are always a tough opponent who will test our offense.
After that early preparation, Wagner comes to Rappolt Field a week later for the opening game of the season at night under the lights at 7pm. It will be time for the Buckeyes of Ohio State at our field that following Sunday at 3:30. We are the second game for Ohio State in the Valley as they will be playing Lehigh Friday afternoon. It will be interesting to see the comparative scores. I plan to attend both games.
The road beckons again on Friday the 1st of Sept as the Leopards will travel to Vermont for a first ever game with this team. They have a new field and are celebrating with a 12 game home schedule. The New England Labor Day weekend swing ends on Sunday with UMass at Amherst.
The Schedule doesn’t get any easier as Friday will mark the ACC’s Syracuse University Orange return to Lafayette for a 6 pm game. Sunday the 10th it’ll be a trip to the BIG APPLE and the Columbia Lions who have been improving in the Ivy League.
The Patriot League opener arrives on our home field on Friday at 7pm as the Bison of Bucknell show up. This is a game the team should be looking forward to and the Leopards will look to avenge the one goal loss last year. This is always a competitive match and this year will be no exception. A win for either team launches the pathway to the post season and a trip the NCAA’s. Four wins against Patriot League opponents will be needed to make the League tournament. The regular season league winner will host.
We will catch our breath and get ready for 1pm Sunday and Fairfied ,who actually was a Patriot League member a decade ago. The first Saturday game for the Leopards will be against American in DC, home to many Field Hockey alums. The noon time game as always will be key to title hopes and hopes to host the PL tournament. The Leopards lost by one goal in overtime last year!!
The Patriot League will again be on our mind as Holy Cross comes to town the following Saturday at noon. The Crusaders always seems to get up for the Leopards!!
The Patriot League challenge continues the following Saturday, October 7 with Colgate. By the end of the game we should be able to plot our post season chances and what might be needed to be done to get there.
Twenty five hours later Drexel arrives as the Leopards will try avenge the one goals loss from last year. It’ll be back on the bus as our heroes make a second trip to New England, first meeting League rival Boston University who will want to avenge their 2 goal loss in Easton last year. They will playing on their resurfaced field.
The Leopards will stay in New England and after an overnight rest will meet the next challenge, the Provdence Friars at 1 pm. The last game with them ended in a loss, so this could be a very competitive game.
The schedule again switches to a Friday night game at 6:30 with Towson on the home turf to be shortly followed by a noon away game with Quinnipiac in Hamden CT. They will be under new coaching this season!!
The Patriot League regular season ends appropriately with Lehigh at Lehigh. Lehigh has consecutive victories of late and this game regardless of the records, holds drama for each team. Lehigh will be the defending League champion. It will be a key contest in any case. It is a Oct 27 7 pm start that no doubt could define the season!
The regular season ends with a home game with Temple on Sunday at noon, hopefully with both teams looking at a post season! The PL tournament is Thursday November 2 and Saturday November 4th at the site of the regular season champion.
Lafayette College Field Hockey 