Shannon Welch/Staff Photographer

Head Coach Patti Klecha-Porter, who is entering her 29th season, and the field hockey team see the 2013 season as a rebuilding year, as it comes off last year’s 7-8 season and 4-6 conference record. With the loss of its top three point leaders to graduation, the team looks to its three returning seniors to step up and lead this young team, which includes five promising freshmen, to a NESCAC championship.

“The great thing about our conference is that no game is an easy game, and on any given day, any team can come out on top,” said captain Blair Ingraham ’14. “We’re looking to knock off Bowdoin in our season opener this weekend, and a long-term goal is to beat Amherst and Williams and take home the Little Three Championship.”

The team graduated not only its top three offensive players, but also Tori Redding ’13, the Cardinals’ goaltender for the past four years. However, Redding returns to the team to take on her new role as the goaltending coach. As captain Taylor Wells ’14 sees it, the continuity will keep Wesleyan strong in net.

“Tori will be a great asset to the team because she just graduated and she really understands how to connect with the players on and off the field,” Wells said. “Also, with the addition of two freshman goalies, they will have a lot of one-on-one, position-specific training.”

Although the team may be young, with more freshmen and sophomores than upperclassmen, the Cardinals are putting in the work to improve. Thid summer, the returning players traveled to Germany, France, and Argentina to hone their skills, and they are ready to prove themselves stateside.

“We have a young, fast, and skilled team, and I’m confident that everyone is going to step into their own roles this season to contribute to the team’s success,” Ingraham said.

The field hockey team’s season opener is this Saturday, Sept. 5 at Bowdoin, and the Cardinals will host Wellesley College on Wednesday, Sept. 11 for the home debut on Smith Field at 7 p.m.

“Our goal is to work well together as a unit and have a lot of different players on the score sheet at the end of every game,” said Ingraham. “I’m confident that we’re going to have a strong presence in the NESCAC this season.”

Two big dates to circle on your calendars for this season are Tuesday, Sept. 17, when the Cardinals will take on reigning NCAA champions Tufts at 6 p.m. at Smith Field, and Saturday, Oct. 26 when they host powerhouse Middlebury at noon. This season promises to be an exciting one for field hockey, which is committed to making every match competitive.