Head Coach Shannon LeBlanc and the UMass Lowell field hockey team are back at Wicked Blue Field preparing for the new season and there is a strong sense of excitement for what's to come. On the heels of the program's most successful Division I season to date and a spring trip to Portugal, LeBlanc feels her team is more focused and fit than ever, setting the right tone right away for the 2023 season.

The new campaign kicks off at home on Friday, August 25 when the River Hawks are set to square off against Long Island University in a 12 p.m. tilt. The team then completes opening weekend on the road with a trek to St. Joseph's on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m.

“What our upperclassmen were willing to sacrifice this summer in preparation for this coming season has never happened before,” commented LeBlanc. “Our team fitness coming in on the first day of preseason was the best it’s ever been, and the collective attitude of being excited to train, and train at a high, fast level, has been inspiring to be honest.” 

The team soared to new heights in 2022, compiling record after record throughout the season. The squad finished 12-7 overall on the year, which not only marked the River Hawks’ third straight winning season, but also set a new a Division I program best for wins. In conference play, the River Hawks once again set a new bar. The team went a program-best 6-2 in America East play to tie UAlbany for a historic second-place finish in the regular-season standings and clinch the No. 3 seed for the America East Championship for the first time ever. 

However, Coach LeBlanc has already turned the page on last year's success.

“Every season is a new season and our goals are always taken one game at a time. Right now, we are focused on starting off strong with our opening weekend, which we think will set the tone for how we want to elevate every single game. We just always want to keep the ‘one game at a time’ mentality and never get too far ahead of ourselves.”

In order to be successful this year, LeBlanc feels the River Hawks will have to be strong on both ends of the turf, noting the importance of scoring goals effectively and efficiently, in addition to playing the best defense they ever have.

But beyond having the right skills, LeBlanc stresses that having the right people will be the biggest key to success this year.

“Our team is so nice, and so full of gratitude, but most importantly they’re so competitive. They’re gritty, they’re hungry and they want to win. It’s evident in every drill that we do and every game that we play, we have people that want to win. That is what is going to be the difference maker in those tight, especially late season, conference games, that will to win, and this team collectively has it.” 

In addition, the 2023 River Hawks have several other veteran role models to look to for leadership. Berbel Rozema (Rotterdam, Netherlands) is returning to the midfield for her fifth year after finishing second on the team last season with eight goals and 19 points. Joining her in the middle of the field once again will be sophomore Meike Vischer (The Hague, Netherlands), who made an immediate impact as a freshman and garnered America East All-Rookie Team honors.

In the cage, senior transfer Christina Calandra (Manchester, Mass.) will provide high-level experience after having led Maryland to a Final Four appearance. 

On the opposite end of the field, sophomores Isabelle Halters (Noordwijk, Netherlands) and Madison Leeper (East Amherst, N.Y.) will lead the attack, having both appeared in every game last year. Leeper joined Vischer on the league's All-Rookie Team, while Halters finished tied for third on the team with 12 points.

With a short preseason, the River Hawks' six newcomers do not have a lot of time to get acclimated, but LeBlanc sees growth among the rookies every day.

“They have had a tremendous amount of improvement just by being around this group of returners that want to bring everyone with them. I think that is really what helps freshmen elevate so quickly is that our team takes everyone up with them. And as a coach, that's awesome for me to watch.”

Three of the River Hawks' opponents for the upcoming season were NCAA Tournament participants in 2022, including Saint Joseph's, who the team will visit during opening weekend.

This year's slate it home heavy, with 12 of the 17 games set to be hosted at Wicked Blue Field. Following the home opener, the team is back on its home turf to square off against local foe Merrimack for the Valley Cup on September 1.

“There’s a sense of comfort at home,” explained LeBlanc. “We know our field really well, we have our locker room and we can control the controllables. I think with our couple of away trips, we're playing some really high-level opponents, which will prepare us for our conference away games, but obviously we love hosting games at Wicked Blue.”