Saturday, August 30 vs. La Salle (2 p.m.) - Wicked Blue Field at Cushing Field Complex, Lowell, Mass.
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Follow on Twitter: @RiverHawkNation @RiverHawkFH

Sunday, August 31 vs. Longwood (1 p.m.) - Wicked Blue Field at Cushing Field Complex, Lowell, Mass.
Watch Live | Live Stats
Follow on Twitter: @RiverHawkNation @RiverHawkFH

LOWELL, Mass. – Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk and the UMass Lowell field hockey team are looking to improve and impress in 2014. Entering their second year in Division I as part of the America East Conference, the River Hawks are slated to host La Salle on Saturday, August 30 at 2 p.m. in the squad's season opener at Cushing Athletic Complex.
 
"We are really looking forward to our second year in this transition," said Hlebichuk. "We had a great experience last year and we were challenged every day, but this year we are going to be a little bit more prepared with regards to what our competition will look like and what we need to do in preparation to be successful."
 
While preparing for the upcoming season, the 13th-year coach explained that her team will be focusing on some finer details now that they know what to expect at the Division I level.   
 
"Last year, we really looked at the big picture of just enjoying the first year of the transition, but this year, we'll pay more attention to the details in order to get the results that we want. We want to get more wins in the win column and paying attention to details will get us there sooner."  
 
Keys to Success
One of the biggest goals for UMass Lowell in 2014 will be to compete longer into the games.
 
"We were really good for 35-40 minutes every game last season, but this year we are looking to play a full 70 minutes," said Hlebichuk. "Our results will be different if we can sustain a high level of excellence for the entire game."
 
According to Hlebichuk, the three keys to fulfilling this and all of the team's other goals will be discipline, accountability and consistency.
 
Team Leadership
The River Hawks will look to senior captains Carrie Dresser (Plaistow, N.H.) and Chelsea Chronopoulos (Tyngsborough, Mass.) for leadership in 2014.
 
"They've been in the program for four years," commented Hlebichuk. "They bought in right away and I think they've been tremendous leaders over the last year. They are ready to lead the team into this next phase of the transition and help prepare the team to be able to compete for championships beginning in 2015."
 
New Faces
Hlebichuk has added 12 newcomers to bolster a roster that includes 10 returners from last season's squad.
 
"We have a very diverse class of newcomers that brings a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. All have a solid field hockey background and have played for some of the top clubs in the country."
 
Players to Watch
On the forward line, senior Bianca Jones (Watertown, Mass.) returns from injury as a veteran leader. In addition, sophomores Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) and Eleonore Agneessens (Brussels, Belgium) return to provide scoring prowess after being named to the America East All-Rookie Team in 2013.
 
In the midfield, Chronopoulos and junior transfer Sophie Watt (Sawtell, Australia) have been tested at a high level in the offseason and will look to continue to help the team on both sides of the ball.
 
Dresser, along with juniors Jessica Walsh (North Easton, Mass.) and Marzana Fiedtkou (Georgetown, Guyana), make up the core of the team's backfield and will be exciting to watch as the River Hawks' most experienced line.  
 
The Opponents
Hlebichuk believes that a well-formulated non-conference slate will greatly benefit the team when it comes to America East play in 2014.
 
"I'm really excited about the non-conference schedule. It's a little more consistent this year with a lot of regional games. I think we have balanced the difficulty so that it will prepare us for conference play and help us compete against some tough America East opponents."