Friday, August 28 vs. Quinnipiac (1 p.m.)
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Twitter: @RiverHawkFH @RiverHawkNation Tweet #UnitedInBlue
 
Sunday, August 30 vs. Providence (3 p.m.)
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Twitter: @RiverHawkFH @RiverHawkNation Tweet #UnitedInBlue
 
LOWELL, Mass. – The wait is over for Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk and the UMass Lowell field hockey team. Officially fast-tracked to active membership by the NCAA Board of Directors, the River Hawks become post-season eligible for the first time at the Division I level in 2015. The new season begins on August 28 when the squad welcomes Quinnipiac to Wicked Blue Field for a 1 p.m. tilt.
 
"We're excited," Hlebichuk said. "It's been a few years since we've been eligible for the postseason, so we're looking forward to that. Making it to the America East Tournament in our first year of eligibility is certainly one of our goals that we've set for ourselves as a team this year. We've been given this great chance to be the first team to get there, so we certainly want to set our sights on that and take advantage of the opportunity."
 
The possibility of post-season play is not the only new challenge facing the River Hawks this season. Four conference members have been added as America East associate members for field hockey beginning in 2015. Stanford, California, Pacific and UC Davis will comprise the league's West Division, while UMass Lowell will be joined by Albany, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine in the East Division.
 
In order to adjust to the upcoming changes, Hlebichuk explained that the team needs to learn from everything that they have experienced during the past two transitional years and implement that into their game.
 
"I think one of the biggest things we've learned is the need to sustain excellence throughout the season. It's not just about taking it one game at a time, but rather understanding that you have to do that 20 times. I think that mental and physical part of the Division I game is certainly something that we're getting better at each year and we're hoping to build off of what we have been doing over the last two years."
 
KEYS TO SUCCESS
In addition to making the conference tournament, the River Hawks have set other goals for the season, such as being competitive every game and getting closer to a winning record. Hlebichuk discussed three key factors that would help the team achieve these goals.
 
"I would say three keys to our success are consistency in our play, sustaining a high level of energy and enthusiasm throughout each game, and scoring. We've had some trouble doing that over the last two years, so we're going to really focus on that this season."
 
TEAM LEADERSHIP
The River Hawks will look to senior captains Kelly Freitas (Manchester, N.H.) and Sophie Watt (Sawtell, Australia) for leadership in 2015.
 
"Sophie and Kelly have done a tremendous job leading the team during the spring season. We had a very successful offseason and we're certainly looking to build from there. They are super fit, they are really positive and they only ask from their teammates what they give, and that is 110 percent all the time."
 
NEW FACES
Hlebichuk has added six newcomers to bolster a roster that includes 16 returners from last year's squad.
 
"We like to say we have a great group of 'hockey heads' coming in," said the veteran coach. "They've played field hockey year-round the last few years and really have committed themselves to UMass Lowell. We are excited that they're finally here because it seems like a long time coming."
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sophomore Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) is the River Hawks' top returning scorer after posting 13 points in her freshman campaign last season. In addition, junior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) and Eleonore Agneessens (Brussels, Belgium) return to help lead the offensive effort. Hlebichuk is expecting freshmen Carleen O'Connell (Madison, N.J.) and Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.) to provide some scoring prowess, as well.
 
Sophie Watt and Kelly Freitas will once again help the squad on both sides of the ball. Both players started all 19 games for UMass Lowell in 2014, and Watt was named to the America East All-Conference First Team for her efforts.
 
In the back, the coaching staff is excited for the return of senior Jessica Walsh (North Easton, Mass.), who missed last season due to injury. Combined with senior Marzana Fiedtkou (Georgetown, Guyana), Hlebichuk feels that the River Hawks will have a difficult backfield to get past. The 14^th-year head coach was also happy with the improvement she has seen from junior Annie Villare (Chelmsford, Mass.), and will look to her for contributions.
 
Sophomore Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) is expected to anchor the River Hawks in the cage in 2015. As a freshman, Federico earned America East All-Rookie Team honors with a league-high 133 saves.
 
THE OPPONENTS
Hlebichuk explained that building a competitive schedule was important to prepare the team for its first season of tournament eligibility.
 
"Since our conference is set up a little bit different this year where we're playing our America East divisional opponents twice, we will have a very challenging October. We have Albany coming off a Final Four appearance and UNH is always in the top 20, so building a tough schedule for August and September will help us when we get into that later stretch."