Merrimack Field Hockey Ready for 2011 Campaign

The field hockey team announced its 2011 schedule on Tuesday, which begins September 3 against Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Led by juniors April Daugherty  of Lincoln, R.I., Jen Otis of Penacook, N.H., and Jamie Spano of Reading, the Warriors travel to Pennsylvania for a pair of non-conference games on September 3 and 4 against Indiana and East Stroudsburg to open the season.

Merrimack then returns home for a pair of games against rivals Bentley and Stonehill on September 8 and 10.

“We are excited to open up under the lights with Bentley at home,” said head coach Anne Rounce, who enters her fourth season as head coach. “Every game is important this year, so we cannot afford to look ahead of ourselves.”

After playing seven non-conference games to start the season, the Warriors host Southern Connecticut in the conference opener on September 22, before kicking off a season-long four-game road trip at Saint Anselm, Assumption, Stonehill and Bentley from September 24 – October 4.

“The most challenging part of the schedule is definitely the four-game road trip,” said Rounce. “It will be tough, but it’s an exciting time of the year as I’m sure the hunt for the playoffs will be close.”

Merrimack will conclude the season with four of its final five at home, including a battle with the defending National Champions UMass Lowell on October 18, before closing out the year with Adelphi on Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 23.

After setting a school record for wins and reaching the Northeast-10 Semifinals for the first time ever in 2009, the Warriors went 8-11 (4-6 NE-10) in 2010 and did not qualify for the postseason.

“Our team is anxious, excited and ready to attack this upcoming season,” said Rounce. “I believe we learned from some of our mistakes from last season. We have a lot of unfinished business. Moving forward, we want to win a championship and will do whatever it takes to get there. There is a core group of players that I know are more determined than ever. They want to leave their mark on the program.”