MERION STATION, Pa. – Saint Joseph's field hockey head coach Hannah Prince has announced the Hawks' schedule for the upcoming 2024 season.  The Hawks will face four programs that played in the NCAA Tournament last season, including a pair of teams that reached the Final Four, in addition to a number of matchups with local and conference rivals.
 
"We are extremely excited to begin our 2024 fall season," Prince said.  "The schedule was crafted to challenge the Hawks and prepare us for postseason play."
 
SJU will prep for the season with a pair of exhibition games against Monmouth and Temple before kicking off the regular season in Storrs, Connecticut, against UConn and New Hampshire on August 30 and 31, respectively.
 
The first regular season game on the newly-installed turf at Ellen Ryan Field will be on Friday, September 6, when the Hawks host perennial national power Penn State.  The Hawks then visit another Big Ten power in Rutgers on September 11.
 
The next weekend sees a distinct local flavor as the Hawks host Villanova on September 13 and Penn on September 15 before heading to North Carolina to face Davidson in their Atlantic 10 opener on September 20; SJU then visits 2023 Final Four participant Duke two days later.
 
UMass visits Hawk Hill on September 27 in a rematch of the last two Atlantic 10 title games before Lock Haven comes to town on October 4.  The Hawks then embark on a three-game road trip, visiting non-conference rival Delaware on October 6 before traveling to VCU on October 11 ahead of a contest at another Final Four opponent from a season ago, Virginia, two days later.
 
The home stretch sees the Hawks hosting Richmond on October 18 and Drexel on October 20 before heading west to Saint Louis on October 25.  Harvard comes to Hawk Hill on October 27 before matchup with crosstown league rival La Salle ends the regular season slate on November 1.
 
The 2024 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship will be on Hawk Hill, as the conference championship will return to Ellen Ryan Field on November 7 and 9.  The Hawks are the three-time reigning champions and have won six of the last seven tournament titles.
 
"Our Big Ten, ACC, and Ivy League games with Rutgers, Penn State, Duke, Virginia, and Harvard are certainly highlights for us," Prince said as she prepares for her third season leading the Hawks.  "With that said, each and every game is extremely important to us in reaching our season goals.  We look forward to taking it game by game and playing Hawk Hockey!"