NEW LONDON, N.H. – After a historic 2021 season the Colby-Sawyer Chargers field hockey team returns to action with high expectations.
 
CHASING HISTORY
In 2021 the field hockey program put the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) on notice ending the year with a 16-4 record including a dominant 10-1 conference record. The Chargers earned the number one seed for the first time in program history and used a 1-0 overtime win against Anna Maria College and a 3-0 victory over Elms College to earn a spot in the GNAC Championship for the first time in history.

On November 6^th in New London, the Chargers were bested by Johnson & Wales University to end their stellar season, but a statement was made that the Colby-Sawyer field hockey team can be a top program in the GNAC.

"Our expectations are high this year", said head coach Emily Dewdney. "The goal is to make the postseason and hopefully make in back to the GNAC Championship game. We are really focused right now on taking things one day at a time and growing together to become better every single day. The leadership of this group is very talented and bring a lot of different strengths. I expect a lot of good things from and really believe in them. This year is going be exciting and we are all ready to start the year."

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Aoife Daly (Harwich, Mass.), Bella Silva (Danvers, Mass.) and Calie Sorenson (Sandwich, Mass.) will share the role as the teams' leaders for the 2022 season.

Daly has been a star for the field hockey team at Colby-Sawyer ranking 5^th all-time in goals (20), 6^th all-time in points (46) and tied for 1^st in game-winning goals (10). Last year Daly put up the best season from a field hockey student-athlete in program history setting the single season points (41), goals record (18) and game-winners (9). Aoife was named to the GNAC All-Conference First Team and was a GNAC Player of the Week three times.

"I'm really looking forward to this season", said Daly. I feel like last season we were reaching towards unimaginable heights, and now that we've been there, we are chasing that feeling again. My expectations this year are to push ourselves but also to become more of a team than past years. We've always been close but this year I think it's even more important to hold one another accountable, be supportive, and push one another. Being able to push each other beyond what we believe our limits are what is going to take us that much farther. I expect a lot from myself, but I know that I'll have the support from my team throughout the season and I'll have their backs as well. I want us to work our hardest and keep our mindsets focused on what the goal is here, and that's to go all the way and take it back this year."

Silva has been an important piece for the Chargers starting all 37 games she has been a part of in her career. Last year Silva finished with six goals and a pair of assists ending the year recognized as a member of the GNAC All-Conference Third Team.

"It is really exciting to be back out on the field", said Silva. "I think we all have high expectations this season especially after last year being the one seed in the conference and then hosting the GNAC Championship game. In terms of the team, I think we are really strong and we are just hoping to do really well this year."

Sorenson has saw action in 19 games for the Chargers in her two seasons. Calie in her career has four goals and three assists including scoring the lone Colby-Sawyer goal in the GNAC Championship on November 6^th.

"As a team we came up with grit as our team word this year", said Sorenson. "We feel like this year we have a target on our back, but if we keep our heads level and stay humble it should be a really good season for us."

WE'RE BACK
After the historic season the Chargers will return a whopping 18 student-athletes including nine starters from last year's team. Among the top returners are Daly, Silva, junior Aleah Murph (Portland, Maine), sophomore Courtney Larson (Auburn, Maine) and senior Lauren Wilkinson (Lynn, Mass.) who each made the 2021 GNAC All-Conference Teams.

Murph was a difference maker from the start for the Chargers starting all 20 games for Colby-Sawyer in 2021. Aleah finished the year with one goal and four assists, while making three defensive saves. Murph was named to the GNAC All-Conference Second Team and ended her first season ranked tied for third all-time in defensive saves (3).

Larson made an immediate impact at Colby-Sawyer scoring 12 goals and dishing out a pair of assists. The 12 goals from Courtney is good for third best in program history in a season as well as tied for fifth best in program history in a season with 26 points. Larson was later named to the GNAC All-Conference Third Team and ended the season 10th all-time in program history in goals (12).

Wilkinson had a big season for the Chargers in the cage ending the year with a 12-4 overall record, while making 115 saves for a .793 save percentage. Wilkinson also had five individual shutouts and one more combined shutout on the season. Lauren was later named to the GNAC All-Conference Second Team and was awarded the Chargie for Female Most-Improved Student-Athlete of the Year. In Colby-Sawyer history Wilkinson is on track to be the best goalie in program history ranking third in wins (13), fourth in saves (115), second in goals against average (1.71), third in shutouts (6) and being the all-time leader in save percentage (.793).

Joining the returners will be eight newcomers including seven first years and a sophomore transfer student.

WHAT TO KNOW
The Chargers have 17 regular season games on schedule including 11 at Sally Shaw Veitch Track & Field in New London. Colby-Sawyer opens the 2022 season hosting back-to-back granite state matchups starting with Plymouth State University on September 3^rd at 1:00 PM, followed by Keene State College on September 7^th at 4:00 PM.
 
The first of 11 GNAC conference game will take place on September 10^th at the University of Saint Joseph with other key matchups coming on October 8^th at Simmons University, October 12^th against Saint Joseph's College of Maine and on October 19^th in a GNAC Championship rematch at Johnson & Wales University.
In the GNAC preseason poll, which was released on August 18^th, the Chargers ranked third with 124 points which included a pair of first place votes. Colby-Sawyer trailed behind only Johnson & Wales (138) and Saint Joseph's College of Maine (127).
 
For the latest on Colby-Sawyer Athletics, follow the Chargers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CSCathletics), Twitter (www.twitter.com/CSCathletics) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/CSCathletics).