WILKES–BARRE – The Wilkes University field hockey team will have a fresh look when they take the field for the 2023 season. After finishing with a 4-12 record in 2022, the Colonels enter this year as a new member of the Landmark Conference. Along with the conference change comes the arrival of new head coach, Ashley Irwin. Coach Irwin joins Wilkes University after nine seasons coaching at Keystone College, where she led the Giants to a 37-17 record in conference play. She looks forward to being part of the transition to the Landmark Conference.
 
"It's a great opportunity for the program, moving into the Landmark this fall. We are composed of nine other institutions and it really gives us that early start in conference play in mid-September… there's great teams that play in the Landmark and we're just really excited to have our program level up because of their level of play."
 
Irwin was happy with the progress her team has already made over the two-game preseason and spoke on how the contests would prepare the Colonels for the regular season slate.
 
"We learned a lot of lessons. We had a great competitive scrimmage down at DeSales University on Thursday and we really liked what we saw from that. It was a great midway preseason point to get excited as to what's to come."
 
Wilkes wrapped up their preseason on Sunday against a Division II St. Thomas Aquinas team that fielded several international student athletes. Coach Irwin praised her team's competitive nature throughout the contest.
 
"It was really great for the girls to see and experience. They played tough. It was true international hockey and we were just so excited to bring it to Wilkes. It was great competition all around."
 
Coach Irwin isn't the only new face on campus, as the program welcomes nine new players who are all looking forward to making their debuts at Wilkes.
 
"Really excited for the new players that we brought in. We're 50/50 between returners and new [players] whether they be transfers, freshman, or simply weren't on the team last year. So we're excited to get that mix together."
 
Leading the Colonels on defense will be graduate student Maura Hensel (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove), who was tied for most defensive saves last year (7) in the Mid Atlantic Conference Freedom and voted to the Second Team All-MAC Freedom, as well as the 2021 All MAC Freedom honorable mention, Jordan Pugh (Plains, PA/James M. Coughlin). A starter in all sixteen games last season, Pugh registered eighteen shots and will play a key role transitioning the team to offense. Joining the Wilkes defense is 2022 Second Team All-Colonial States Athletic Conference selection sophomore Cortney Keim (Trevorton, PA/Line Mountain). Rounding out the defensive side is junior Allison Radicchi (Binghamton, NY/Windsor Central), sophomores Sydney Presher (Spencer, NY/SVEC), McKenna Budzak (Sweet Valley, PA/Lake-Lehman) and Josephine Paolucci (Nicholson, PA/Lackawanna Trail), and first-year Emma Dengler (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin East).
 
The Wilkes midfield will lean on junior Bridget Rosenfeld (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa), who had the most points last year out of all returning Colonels with four goals and an assist. Junior Olivia Gayoski (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West) rejoins the team after appearing in fifteen contests during the 2021 campaign. Juniors Lexie Nevel (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick), Kellie Scott (Northport, ME/Kents Hill) and sophomore Laila Porterfield (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) all return to bolster the Colonels midfield unit. Hensel and Paolucci will both spend time at midfield as well.
 
Coach Irwin will look to a mix of new and returning players to produce offensively this season. Senior Anmarie Lebron (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) finished the 2022 season with the most shots (24) and shots on goal (15) amongst all returning Colonels. She is joined by senior Devon Donley (Dauphin, PA/Bishop McDevitt), who appeared in every game last year for Wilkes and graduate transfer Caitlin Keim (Trevorton, PA/Line Mountain), bringing a leadership presence to the forward core. Junior Morgan Millard (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg Area) was tied for the sixth most assists (4) in the MAC Freedom last season and hopes to add a spark to the team's offense. Rosenfeld will also split time between the midfield and forward units. Rounding out the forward group are two first-year students, Morgan Hermanofski (Shickshinny, PA/Northwest Area) and Erin Danko.
 
Senior Carly Eidle (East Greenville, PA/Upper Perkiomen) will start between the pipes for the Colonels this season. Eidle has appeared in every game over the past two seasons and averaged the second most saves (115) and saves per game (7.19) in the MAC Freedom last season. After posting a .701 save percentage last season, the Blue and Gold will continue to rely on her to make key saves in the crease.
 
The captains for the 2023 Colonels will be Bridget Rosenfeld (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa), Jordan Pugh (Plains, PA/James M. Coughlin) and Olivia Gayoski (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West). Coach Irwin spoke on the key role the three will play in anchoring the team throughout the season.
 
"Their leadership is going to be huge for us this year because they bought into the vision early. It's slowly seeping into everyone else and as a head coach, it's so exciting to see."
 
Wilkes begins the seventeen-game slate on Saturday, September 2 at 2:00 p.m. with a road contest against SUNY Oswego before returning home to Schmidt Stadium on Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 p.m. to take on Alvernia University. The team enters their first season of play in the Landmark Conference at Goucher College on Saturday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m. Wilkes will play nine conference games, highlighted by Senior Day on Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. when they host Juniata College.