LHU Field Hockey set to open 2024 season Friday at home
LOCK HAVEN – Lock Haven’s Division I field hockey team is set to open the 2024 season at home this weekend with a pair of non-conference contests, the first of which is set for Friday (Aug. 30) afternoon on Charlotte Smith Field.
Setting the Stage:
Lock Haven will officially open the 2024 season on Friday vs. 10th-ranked Syracuse. The match is set for 3 p.m. at Charlotte Smith Field. Syracuse was 11-8 overall last season and advanced as far as the NCAA Quarterfinals.
On Sunday, Sept. 1, the Bald Eagles will host Temple at 12 p.m.
Gameday:
Live Coverage – Fans can watch and listen to all home field hockey events this season and follow along with live stats at GoLHU.com.
Digital Programs – Visit our new Gameday Hub – GoLHU.com/programs
The Lock Haven Department of Athletics, in partnership with the Athletic Communications and Marketing office, is excited to offer fans and followers of the Bald Eagles a new way to access game day information while in attendance with the introduction of digital programs at home events for the 2024-25 academic year.
Preseason Atlantic 10 Conference Rankings:
Earlier this week, the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) announced the 2024 Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Lock Haven was picked to finish sixth in the eight-team league. Saint Joseph’s received seven of eight first-place votes and was tabbed by the coaches as the preseason favorite. Massachusetts and VCU were picked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Rounding out the coaches’ preseason poll was No. 4 Richmond, No. 5 La Salle, No. 6 Lock Haven, No. 7 Davidson and No. 8 Saint Louis.
A Quick Look at the Schedule:
In all, the Bald Eagles will open the 2024 season with four straight games at home. Following this weekend’s games vs. Syracuse and Temple, Lock Haven will host Georgetown on Sept. 6 and Colgate on Sept. 8. The season-opening four-game homestand is part of an 11-game home slate scheduled for the fall on Charlotte Smith Field. The Bald Eagles picked up a pair of wins at home last season and went a perfect 9-0 at home in 2022.
Lock Haven will hit the road to take on American on Friday, Sept. 13 at the University of Maryland, and the Bald Eagles first true road test will come vs. host and perennial national power Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 15. The Haven is set to open 2024 Atlantic 10 play on Friday, Sept. 20 vs. LaSalle. Last season, Lock Haven picked up conference wins vs. Richmond and Davidson. The full 2024 Lock Haven field hockey schedule is available at GoLHU.com.
Top Returners:
2023 Statistics
Second-year head coach Anna Rogers and first-year assistant coach McKenna Sergi return a strong nucleus, which will help power the program into the new season.
As far as returners go, the Bald Eagles return their top scorers from last season, including Brooke Hofsass who led the team in goals with eight and total points with 19 (8G, 3A). Constanza Lopez Zabala scored six goals last season and Alyssa Endrick finished with three goals and three assists.
Leading the way on defense will be sophomore Elien Bos, who was named to the A-10’s All-Rookie Team last year after a sensational freshman campaign. Florance de Kroon is another experienced defender Lock Haven can lean on, and senior Deana Campbell will provide veteran leadership on and off the field.
The Bald Eagles also get a huge boost in the back with the return of standout-goalkeeper Kelsey Felix. Last season, Felix started all 17 games and finished with 99 saves and a 0.717 save-percentage.
Newcomers:
A strong group of newcomers will be looking to make an immediate impact this fall. Madison Friend, Aubrey Richards, Peyton Conover, Haley Kvacky, Farah van Dijk, Keira Horensky, Rylee Wassmer, Cyan Kvacky and Maja Halasz make up Lock Haven’s 2024 recruiting class. To learn more about each new Bald Eagle, visit GoLHU.com for the 2024 recruiting class release.
Up Next:
Following Sunday’s (Sept. 1) home game with Temple, the Bald Eagles will return to action on Friday, Sept. 6 at home vs. Georgetown. The full 2024 Lock Haven field hockey schedule can be found at GoLHU.com.
