After a historic season that ended in the NCAA championship game, St. Joseph’s University field hockey faces a new challenge, writes Owen Hewitt for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
They had to replace their top scorers and mold a roster packed with fresh faces. Coach Hannah Prince, in her fourth year at the helm, welcomed 18 newcomers this season. Nine are transfers and nine freshmen, who will help the Hawks rebuild “brick by brick.”
Leading the way is graduate transfer goalkeeper Paige Kieft, a Newtown Square native who starred at Notre Dame de Namur and played four years at Maryland, reaching two Final Fours. For her final season of eligibility, Kieft chose Hawk Hill.
“I called Hannah on the phone,” Kieft said. “I said ‘It’s St. Joe’s or nothing.” That conviction has paid off: she’s started all 10 games and boasts the best goals-against average in the Atlantic 10.
The Hawks, ranked as high as No. 9 in the preseason poll, have stumbled early to a 6-4 record, but two of those losses came against top-20 opponents. Prince believes the test will be whether the team peaks in November, not September.
Despite the turnover, St. Joe’s remains the powerhouse of the A-10, with seven conference titles in the last eight seasons.
To learn more about St. Joe’s season, visit the Philadelphia Inquirer.
