Season Preview: Morale sky-high for Hofstra field hockey
In the heat of the dog days of summer, the Hofstra field hockey team reported to campus for the start of preseason for the 2023 Coastal Athletic Association lacrosse season. Last season followed a similar familiar trend for the Hofstra Pride, with the team finishing under .500 for the seventh straight season. Despite recent struggles, the Hofstra field hockey team comes into this season with high hopes to get the team back to the CAA championship playoffs for the first time since 2015.
The Pride took a big step forward in 2022, however, their conference record did not reflect that. The Pride only allowed 27 goals in conference play last season, which was good for the second-fewest allowed in the conference that season. However, the Pride only scored 28 goals of their own, which was also the second-fewest in the CAA last season. And those goal-scoring troubles cost them, with the Pride only winning one of their six CAA contests. In the CAA preseason coaches poll, Hofstra received 10 points, which is good for sixth out of seven teams in the conference. At the top of the table was Delaware, who received 35 points, and five first-place votes.
However, head coach Courtney Veinotte believes that this season, her team can turn the corner offensively. Veinotte spoke on the 12 new incoming freshmen, as well as the veteran returners, whom Veinotte praised for their ability to learn how to play together quickly, as well as learning and buying into the team's fast-paced attacking play style.
“It’s a very exciting group, and ultimately our veterans did a great job this offseason developing a new attacking style,” Veinotte said. “And we just brought in 12 incoming [freshman], so the first couple days was just trying to see if we could get everyone getting to know each other and playing with everybody…They’re learning a new attacking brand, we are very athletic, we are fast, so we want to play a style that fits that and fits that kind of speed that we have.”
Among the returners who will surely be key pieces of the Hofstra team this season is Tara McNally, who is entering her third season with the Pride. Despite playing the first two seasons with the team on defense, McNally is moving up the field to the midfield. “Tara is a rising junior who is an absolutely sound midfielder. She is a connector from the backfield to the forward line, and she is just a complete composer of a player for our team.” Despite the big role change, McNally is ready to take on the rule change head-on. “I’m trying to work on my passing, my moving, and hopefully I can contribute to the team in a different way than I have in the past.” McNally said regarding the change.
McNally began practicing midfield last spring in preparation for the position change this season, which has better prepared her for the challenge of switching roles. “It’s been really easy.” McNally said. “The people around me have been very easy to work with and have been able to talk to me so there hasn’t really been any issues.”
Despite playing on defense the last two seasons, McNally has found the scoresheet and recorded points in both of her first two years with the team. McNally recorded three assists in her freshman season in 2021 and scored two goals last year during her sophomore season. McNally will look to find her way onto the scoresheet even more this season as a junior and with plenty of chances as a midfielder.
Every year, the CAA creates an all-CAA preseason team, that recognizes the best players in the conference for the upcoming season. Jamie Mc Millan, Hofstra’s star sophomore defenseman, was the lone representative for the Pride this season. Mc Millan played a very important role in Hofstra’s dominant defense a year ago. And this year, she’s ready to take a larger leadership role, with the hope to lead this team back to the CAA tournament for the first time in eight years, as well as get involved in play in ways she's never been involved before.
“I’m a sophomore this year, last year I was a freshman, so now I’m used to the team.” Mc Millan said. “I will take a bigger role in leadership, and lead this team to success and hopefully to CAA seeding. Also, pushing more forward on defense, we had some changes on the defense which will help me push forward and get circle entries.”
With the departure of former Hofstra starting goalkeeper Merlijn van der Vegt, Hofstra will now rely on a “goalie by committee” with two goalkeepers leading the charge. Those two keepers are returning sophomor Pieke Roos, and incoming freshman Hella Vorpagel.
“They play two very different styles of goalkeeping.” Veinotte said. “So I think it depends on what we’re seeing from the other team once we get into scouting. I think both of them play different styles and it depends on what we’re seeing from the other teams attacking penalty corners…but both are very high-level goalkeepers and it will be very fun to see them behind our defense line.”
The Hofstra field hockey team will open their season on Aug. 26, 2023 at home against Merrimack, and their conference schedule will begin on Sep. 15 at home against Delaware, as Hofstra will begin its quest to get back to the CAA tournament for the first time in eight years.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
