Field Hockey | August 25, 2022
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The La Salle field hockey teams starts the 2022 season off with a five-game road trip beginning at Bryant this Friday, August 26 at 6 p.m. The game will stream on American East TV.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS
- Martu Loncarica enters her second season as head coach of the Explorers after leading the group to a 7-10 record in 2021.
- Loncarica and the Explorers ranked fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll while sophomore Sofia Pla earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Pla served as La Salle's second-leading goal scorer with eight last season. She added two assists for a total of 18 points on the season. The defender also tallied three game-winning goals and anchored the backline in her rookie season.
- 2022 Team Captain Tatum Johnson also returns to the field for the Explorers this season. During her rookie campaign, Johnson started and played in all 17 contests for La Salle and led the offensive effort with a team-high 27 points on 10 goals and seven assists. The forward was also responsible for four game-winning balls into the cage.
- La Salle returns 16 players including six seniors and welcomes six newcomers including transfers Peyton Tollaksen (UVA), Zhao Rodrigo (Lock Haven) and Sol Espona (LIU).
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Jillian Coppola enters her second season as the head coach. Under Coppola's leadership last season the Bulldogs averaged their highest goals per game in a full season since 2017.
- The roster returns 68 percent of the scorers from the previous season led by senior Taryn Rauff, an All-NEC First Team Selection. Rauff led the bulldogs offensively with 17 points on eight goals and one assist.
- Fellow senior Grayson Green and junior Ashley Barron also return to the field after each having found the back of the cage last season.
- Bryant also welcomes back All-NEC Second Team selection Brittany Gouws in the midfield after recording two goals and four defensive saves a season ago.
- The Bulldogs graduated their started goalie, 2021 NEC Goalkeeper and Defensive Player of the Year Marijn Jaarsma, leaving sophomore Karli Reed and freshmen Megan Hart and Dieneke Hes vying for the spot.
