HAMILTON — Colgate women's soccer opens the 2023 campaign on the road Thursday when it takes on Canisius at 6 p.m. in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Raiders return 23 players from last year's squad that finished 3-4-2 in Patriot League play.
"I am very excited for the start of a new season. Once again, we have a very challenging non-conference slate, with many of our opponents projected in the top half of their conference preseason rankings," said Head Coach
Lyndse Hokanson.
"That said, our team is excited to embrace the challenge ahead, knowing we will have several opportunities to learn and grow through those games. Our team has high ambitions and has been training at a level that we'd expect from a group that has those sorts of goals. We look forward to an exciting season ahead!"
RETURNING TALENT
Forward
Ally Giovino enters her senior year after earning a spot on the Patriot League Third Team All-League last season. She tallied a team-high 10 points after leading the Raiders with five goals. Giovino finished second in the conference in goals and tied for seventh in points.
The Raiders also bring back young talent with sophomores
Ari Bezanson and
Ellie Stokes. Bezanson finished last season with five points after notching two goals and an assist. She also ranked 10th in the Patriot League in shots per game at 1.75. Stokes tallied a goal and two assists during her first season while firing 17 shots, six of which were on frame.
On the defensive side, senior
Lyna Schaffer led the team in minutes last season, helping guide the Raiders' backline. She logged 1,511 minutes after starting all 17 games and playing the full 90 minutes in all but one contest.
The Raiders' defense helped the team to two shutout victories against Boston University and Army last year.
Junior
Olivia Anderson played in 16 games making 14 starts and played the full 90 minutes in eight contests. Sophomore
Nikki DiCaprio recorded 1,395 minutes of action, good for second most on the team.
Senior goalkeeper
Emma Hickey appeared in seven games, making six starts and recording 495 minutes between the pipes in 2022. She posted a 1.09 goals against average and a .700 save percentage, allowing just six goals. Hickey picked up the shutout victory in Colgate's defeat of BU.
THE NEWCOMERS
The Raiders welcomed six new players for the 2023 season. Colgate's Class of 2027 comes from five states and has experience playing for top-level club teams in the Elite Club National League (ECNL) and the Girls Academy League. The group includes several all-conference and all-state honorees from championship-winning high school and club teams. Off the field, they have also excelled both in the classroom and in their communities.
SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
Colgate will play nine non-conference games this season, including a trip out west to take on Denver (Sept. 7) and Colorado (Sept. 10). The Raiders will also host Buffalo (Aug. 24), St. John's (Aug. 27), and Vermont (Sept. 3).
Patriot League play begins at home Sept. 16 against Bucknell in Colgate's first of four conference games at Beyer-Small '76 Field.
"Taking the team out to Colorado is a really fun way to close out non-conference play and take our west coast players closer to home," Hokanson said.
"Then, of course, we head into another year of incredibly competitive Patriot League play. We love the fact that this league presents new opportunities every match, and yet again have a season where the margins between all ten sides are incredibly thin."
