By Kyle Kandetzki – SPORTS EDITOR
CAA Field Hockey features the smallest tournament field of all of the conference’s fall sports, with just four programs qualifying. This makes room for error small, and non-conference tune-up games even more crucial, especially for the Pride, after a lack of a tournament berth in 2014.

8/28 vs. Vermont (3-15, America East) – Unlike all of the other fall sports that have hundreds of programs to choose from on an out-of-conference schedule, DI field hockey features just 78 teams. Alternatively, this means that the 71^st ranked (by RPI) Catamounts are a weak opening opponent for the Pride.

Their three wins comes with expectedly poor stats – just 21 goals total is the worst of them, none of which came in a 4-0 loss to the Pride last season. If there are positives to be found, it is that they retain their top two point scorers…but the two combined for 22 points…for comparison Jonel Boileau had 38 by herself last year.

8/30 vs. Colgate (5-12, Patriot) – Much of Hofstra’s 2015 schedule is similar to the previous year’s (a common trend every other year in many NCAA sports), and Colgate is another repeat opponent. The Pride handled the Raiders easily in 2014, 7-1, and this year the game will be played on Hof’s own turf. The 63^rd ranked team also loses their top scorer in Eliana Brown, and the reinforcements are weak, with their top returner only posting 14 points last year. This should be another breeze for Hofstra.

9/4 @ Maine (10-10, America East) – Hofstra’s first threatening opponent comes in their first road game. UMaine only managed to break even in 2014, but one-point losses to tough opponents like Michigan State (21^st in RPI) and Stanford (6^th) bumped up their respectability. They took yet another one-point loss to the Pride, which was the Black Bears’ FIFTH one-point loss in a row. Talk about deflating.

Two of Maine’s top three scorers are gone, leaving a trio of seniors who placed 4^th, 5^th and 6^th in scoring last year to step up this coming season to compliment junior Danielle Aviani, who scored 11 times in 2014. She also had the lone Maine goal in the previous meeting between them and Hofstra, so that’s a good start.

9/5 vs. Boston University [in Maine] (13-8, Patriot) – Hofstra remains on the campus of UMaine for a neutral turf meeting with BU. It’s not the first team the Pride faces that went over .500 in 2014, but the first to top them in RPI, at 19^th.

The Terriers were Patriot League champs in 2014, and they stacked their schedule, playing five ranked programs. Though they only won one of them (#8 Virginia), they went to OT in three of their losses. The scariest element of this BU team is they return all of their top four scorers, who combined for 83 of all 108 points, led by 14-goal scorer Amanda Cassera, who is only a junior. This is the first game that Hofstra won’t be favored, and a win would be very impressive.

9/8 vs. Albany (20-3, America East) – When the Pride returns home for a four-game homestand, they will have already seen two America East opponents, both of which are struggling programs. But on the top of the conference stands Albany, who manhandled the rest of the AE to a 5-0 mark in ‘14, and only lost to ranked opponents, including eventual national champ UConn in the NCAA Semis.

Two factors should terrify the Pride coming into this matchup: they lost to a very similar roster-ed UAlbany in a 7-0 blowout last season AND Hofstra will once again have to face last season’s best point scorer in all of NCAA DI field hockey, Paula Heuser (29 goals, 11 assists). A win here would be a huge upset shocker.

9/11 vs. Rider (11-9, MAAC) – Things ease up a bit when Rider comes to Hempstead three days later, facing a squad that they handled easily last year, 6-3. The Broncs picked up a positive record and a MAAC Championship appearance, but their RPI number (55^th) is boosted by a light schedule, where Hofstra was their second toughest opponent (only one RPI spot behind their toughest, 32^nd Drexel).

Rider didn’t improve their non-conference slate much, and Hofstra will once against be one of the tougher teams they will see, despite the Pride not being a premier program. The team will also be looking to replace 42 points put up in 2014 from their 1^st, 2^nd, and 4^th best scorers, whom graduated.

9/13 vs. UC-Davis (6-14, NorPac) – If you don’t recognize the conference UC Davis hails from, you’re not crazy, the NorPac is a field hockey only conference that also contains schools like Stanford and Liberty University. Hofstra is sandwiched between an ambitious UC-Davis schedule that includes the two worst DI field hockey programs last season (Holy Cross & Saint Louis) and some huge programs like #3 Syracuse, #6 Stanford, #8 Northwestern, and more.

UC-Davis, though pulls up at 61^st in RPI, mostly because their wins tend to never come against the giants, and only against the light competition. The Aggies retain a bit of their core, but the squad rotated three goalies due to struggles to shut opponents down last year. This is another game Hofstra should expect to win.

Check back soon for part 2, including a slate of teams that Hofstra succeeded against in 2014.