Senior captains Ellen Rowe and Rachel Walsh will keep Hawk field hockey fans updated on this year's team, giving readers a student-athlete perspective on the day-to-day activities of the Saint Joseph's field hockey team.  As the squad prepares for its first game on Friday, "Captain's Corner" makes its 2011 debut.

by Ellen Rowe

August 10th marked the beginning of preseason for the 2011 Saint Joseph's field hockey team! We started off the season with our annual preseason fitness testing and I am proud of the effort put forth by all. Since then, we have been training three times a day with our wonderful coaching staff. Everyone is excited to welcome the new additions: USA field hockey program members Jessica Javelet and Shannon Taylor, as well as an experienced coach in Dallas Alexander have joined [head coach] Michelle Finegan this fall. Also, the squad has received ten new freshmen to bulk up the roster for this season. Congratulations to the freshmen for making it through the first 10 days of your first collegiate preseason! We have all pushed each other these past two weeks and as preseason comes winding down we have our first two games to look forward to this week - Drexel and Fairfield. Bring it on!

Saturday was our first scrimmage of the year against Rider, a team known for being pretty tough. We came out strong in the first half, but unfortunately a weak second half let Rider come out on top. As first scrimmages typically go, everyone got the chance to play and showcase some of the skills we have learned in preseason thus far. The scrimmage was a learning experience for all as we begin to trust one another and learn how to work together as a new team. After losing a strong senior class from last season, we are looking to the underclassmen to step up to the challenge and prove themselves on the field. Led by five seniors this year, our young team is anxious to prove the Atlantic 10 conference predictions wrong and be the underdogs that come out on top!

In other news, I know the team has been patiently waiting for this season because we finally get our new turf field! Playing at Drexel the past three years has really taken a toll on us. We have been fighting for a home field for a long time and the amount of adversity we have overcome is more than that of any other team. Ultimately, we have each other and we will (once again) pull through this. Let's show everybody that nothing can bring us down. And as we start our season on another team's field, keep in the back of your mind how good it will feel to win the A-10 championship on OUR FIELD. "Home" is where you are, whether it's at Drexel's field or our own on City Avenue.

Now lets finish this last week of preseason strong and prepare to face off against big-time rivals Drexel on Friday! I can't wait to see what this season has in store for us and to share my final year with this great group of girls. It's time for us to really show the world what we're made of. We have to believe it to achieve it. HERE WE GO ST. JOE'S!!!

-Ellen