- The 2007 season for William and Mary field hockey brings the usual challenges of blending new faces with experienced veterans. While uncertainty may appear, it is far outweighed by the excitement. Head coach Peel Hawthorne enters her 21st season at the helm of the Tribe program with perhaps her youngest, but at the same time, most versatile group.

A glimpse at the Tribe roster will show only six upperclassmen and a contingent of 10 true freshmen. What doesn't appear on paper is the versatility and team chemistry, both of which hold exciting possibility for Hawthorne.

"We have a pretty versatile group," Hawthorne said. "Our team chemistry has been excellent. I think this freshman class will gel very quickly with the returning players. We have great leadership, and our upperclassmen have made a conscious effort to include the incoming freshmen in their preseason plans. They have already created a good relationship with them through camp. Although it is a large group (of freshman), I think they have a really strong understanding of who we are and what we are about."

The number of players on the Tribe roster who have the ability to play multiple positions gives W&M the opportunity to play various styles. It will also allow the Tribe to throw different approaches at its opponents to keep them on their heels.

"My goal is to have players who are comfortable in several positions and who are comfortable switching between roles on the fly," Hawthorne said. "The better they are able to understand our system of play and feel comfortable overlapping in attack and coming back to help on defense, the stronger we will be."

Despite its youth, the Tribe has an experienced quartet of seniors who will anchor the squad. Seniors Kim Hedley, Gwen Hunter, Jes Kacerek and Laura Kastelic will provide a sturdy foundation that will benefit the younger players as they grow and mature. All four seniors started every game last season and give the College an important core of leadership within every position on the field. The leadership from the four seniors along with the other returners will help in guiding the younger contingent as W&M looks to improve every day.

"Our biggest catch phrase from this past year is that we want to commit to being better every day and do everything with that in mind," Hawthorne said. "In terms of work ethic, coachability and commitment to team, I could not have been happier with our group of players. They really stepped it up last season, and I think they will do a great job in passing that along to the freshmen."

Forward
The Tribe's top returning scorer headlines the forward position. Senior Kim Hedley ranked second on the team with 20 points on nine goals and two assists last season. Her nine goals led the Tribe and ranked eighth in the CAA. For her efforts, Hedley earned Second-Team All-CAA honors during the 2006 campaign. Hedley started every game last season in the College's three-forward attack.

W&M will have to replace a pair of starters up top with the graduation of Maggie Long and Gina Cimarelli. The Tribe will look toward its youth to fill in the gap. Junior Lauren Giles and sophomore Sarah Louie headline the list of returners who could make an impact at the forward position. Giles appeared in 18 games during her sophomore campaign and scored her first collegiate goal in the College's 4-2 victory over CAA foe VCU. Louie played in 12 games during her true freshman season, gaining experience behind the veteran frontrunners. She recorded an assist in the College's 2-0 win over Radford in Williamsburg.

The influx of youth brings a lot of excitement to the Tribe program and it is no more evident than at the forward position. A trio of true freshmen could make an impact at the position. Jenna Cinalli, Rebecca Wagner and Michelle Krewinghaus joined the Tribe after stellar prep careers in the state of Virginia. All three earned all-state honors in high school.

Cinalli was a prolific scorer during her prep career, setting numerous school records at Chancellor and led the institution to a state title in 2006. She was the Virginia State Player of the Year in 2005 and earned NFHCA All-Region accolades during her senior campaign. Krewinghaus established school records with 43 points and 16 goals as a senior. She went on to earn the Daily Press and Bay Rivers District Players of the Year honors at Tabb. Wagner showed her versatility also playing midfield at Princess Anne in Virginia Beach. She finished her career with 47 goals and 56 assists.

W&M can also turn to redshirt freshman Alexis Gerber and sophomore Kelsey Jackson at the forward spot. Gerber spent her freshman season learning from the experienced front line. Prior to joining the College, she enjoyed a stellar prep career at Conestoga in Pennsylvania. She was a three-time all-league and All-Main Line choice. Jackson played in nine games as a freshman for the Tribe, splitting time between the midfield and forward spots. She could also see time in the midfielder in 2007 for the Tribe. Jackson was "Miss Maine" in field hockey prior to joining W&M.

Midfield
Senior Jes Kacerek leads the pack for W&M in the midfield. Over the last two seasons, Kacerek has started 36 of the Tribe's 40 games, scoring five goals and dishing out five assists. Kacerek is a skilled and intelligent player who will lead the Tribe in the center of the park. She received the W&M Martha Barksdale Award, given annually to a rising senior female athlete who has excelled in the classroom and on the field, prior to her senior campaign.

"Jes Kacerek will anchor our center midfield," Hawthorne said. "She is our chief playmaker."

Junior Katie Broaddus is another experienced Tribe returner who could see time in the midfield. Broaddus started all 19 games for the Tribe in 2006 and could find time in both the midfield and back positions in 2007. The Clifton, Va., native has been slowed by off-season surgery, so her time on the field will be dictated by how fast she recovers. In her first two seasons with W&M, Broaddus has started 21 games and has 10 points on four goals and two assists.

"Katie is a little bit of an unknown," Hawthorne said. "She could fill either a defensive or midfield role. Katie could easily be one of our strongest players, but we will have to wait and see how she responses."

W&M also returns CAA All-Rookie team selection from a season ago, Wesley Drew, in the midfield. Drew appeared in 18 contests for the College and recorded one start. The former prep All-American finished the year with three goals and recorded the most points by a true freshman since the 2000 season. W&M will also have other returning options at the midfield slot including Giles, Gerber, Jackson and sophomore Courtney Farino.

A quartet of true freshman could find time in the Tribe midfield during their rookie campaigns. Erica Eng was an all-state choice in New Jersey, finishing her senior season with 24 goals and 13 assists. During her four-year career, Eng helped Madison to an 87-7 record and a Group 2 championship in 2003. The College could also turn to newcomers Liz Loudy, Kelsey Nawlinski and Mikala Savaides.

Loudy was an honorable mention all-state choice as a senior after earning all-district, all-region and all-metro honors. Nawlinski was a first-team all-state choice in Pennsylvania at Villa Maria Academy. Savaides also earned all-state accolades as a senior at Lake Braddock High School. She was named the AAA Patriot District Player of the Year as a senior as well.

Back
Like it will at the forward and midfield positions, the College will be anchored in defense by a returning senior starter. Senior Laura Kastelic is no stranger to the Tribe lineup, having started 37 games over her first three seasons with W&M. Last season, she ranked fifth on the team in scoring (7 points) and third in assists (3), despite playing the back position. In W&M's 4-2 win over VCU, Kastelic equaled the school record with three assists.

While Broaddus could see time in the defensive third for the College, the Tribe also has options in sophomores Kaitlin Johnson and Courtney Farino. Johnson led W&M with three defensive saves during her redshirt freshman campaign. Her defensive save total ranked fourth in the CAA. Johnson earned the Tribe's Most Improved Player award after starting 18 of 19 games in the back. Farino appeared in eight games as a rookie in 2006 and tallied her first collegiate goal in the Tribe's 4-0 blanking of Davidson.

Redshirt freshman Maura Checchio gained valuable experience during her rookie season learning from the Tribe's backline. With a year under her belt, Checchio will look to make an impact in the back after earning four letters for First Colonial in Virginia Beach, Va., as a prep.

The College adds a pair of true freshmen to the defensive fold. Rookies Jennifer Harr and Danielle Scissom have the ability to make an impact and see time as freshmen. Harr and Scissom will look to carry their high school success over to the collegiate level. The pair teamed to lead Cox High School to a VHSL State Championship in 2006. Harr participated in the National Futures Tournament U19 as a member of Team Norfolk last year, while Scissom is a two-time first-team all-state selection.

Goalkeeper
Perhaps the Tribe's most experienced returner comes in arguably the most important position on the field at goalkeeper. Senior Gwen Hunter has started every game over the last two seasons in the cage for W&M and currently ranks among the school's all-time leaders in saves, goals against average and shutouts. She has a career goals against average of 1.69 to go along with 219 saves and 10 shutouts. In 2005, Hunter was a second-team all-state choice in goal.

"Gwen is an exceptional athlete with years of game experience and a tireless work ethic," Hawthorne said. "She has always been at the top of our fitness charts. Gwen has been instrumental in organizing our defense, and I expect her to maintain her starting role. At the same time Carrie Thompson must be prepared to step in at any moment. While Carrie does not have Gwen's game experience, she is agile, strong and very capable of running the defense. Camilla enters the program with a strong foundation in goaltending. She has had some great coaching and is very vocal in the cage. I think she will slip right in and feel comfortable in that."

Redshirt freshman Carrie Thompson and true freshman Camilla Hill will have the chance to learn under the tutelage of an experienced goalkeeper like Hunter. Thompson redshirted her rookie season with the Tribe after helping her Stafford team to a perfect 24-0 mark and a state title during her senior season in high school. Hill was a First-Team Virginia Group AA All-State choice as a senior.

Schedule
The Tribe will face some stiff competition during the upcoming campaign as seven foes qualified for the 2006 NCAA Tournament, and a total of nine opponents were ranked among the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Top 20 or receiving votes.

The College will open the year with a pair of home matches on August 25 and 26 at Busch Field. In the season opener, W&M will battle defending Northeast Conference Champion Lock Haven at 11 a.m. on Aug. 25. It will mark the first time since the 1976 season that the Tribe and Lady Eagles have met. The Tribe will round out its opening weekend the following day against America East foe Fairfield.

W&M will then hit the road for a pair of tough matches against NCAA Tournament and nationally-ranked foes. The College travels to Durham, N.C., to face NCAA Final Four participant Duke on Sept. 1. The Blue Devils finished last season ranked No. 4 in the national polls and earned its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Final Four during the 2006 campaign.

The Tribe will face Big Ten foe Iowa on Sept. 3 in Durham as well. It will mark the first time the Tribe and Hawkeyes have met on the turf. It will also be a reunion of sorts for W&M assistant coach Quan Nim Anderson. Nim Anderson was an All-American and graduated from Iowa in 1999.

The College will face two other ACC foes on the year, battling Virginia on Sept. 14 in Charlottesville and North Carolina in Williamsburg on Oct. 12. Both teams finished last season ranked among the top 10 nationally. W&M's slate will also include a trio of teams from the NorPac Conference. The Tribe will host Longwood (Sept. 12), Radford (Sept. 26) and Appalachian State (Oct. 14) during the 2007 campaign.

On Sept. 21, the Tribe will open its CAA ledger against Northeastern at the friendly confines of Busch Field. The CAA slate includes home matches against Drexel (Oct. 5), Hofstra (Oct. 7) and Old Dominion (Oct. 28) and road affairs at Delaware (Sept. 28), Towson (Sept. 30), VCU (Oct. 20) and James Madison (Oct. 21). ODU and JMU both advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Monarchs finished the year at 19-4 and ranked No. 3 nationally, while the Dukes won the CAA title and were ranked No. 13.

The College's non-conference schedule will also include matches against Miami (Ohio) and Richmond. The Tribe will host the Redhawks on Sept. 8. W&M and Miami (Ohio) will meet for the second straight season as the College collected an exciting 4-3 overtime win in Oxford last season. W&M will travel to meet the defending A-10 Champion Spiders on Oct. 25. W&M defeated then-No. 19 Richmond, 5-3, in Williamsburg last season.

The CAA Tournament will begin with the league quarterfinals on Nov. 1. The league's semifinals and championship game are slated for Nov. 3 and 4. The entire CAA Tournament will be played in Virginia Beach.