GAMBIER, Ohio – The 2018 season is going to be one of transition for the Kenyon College field hockey team. While the Ladies certainly aim for a second-straight North Coast Athletic Conference championship, they will have to do so without one of the best classes in program history.

The outgoing group of nine graduates accounted for three regular-season conference crowns, two conference tournament crowns and a combined 66-17 record over the last four seasons. The group included two National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Americans and six NFHCA All-Region honorees.

The Ladies, who posted a 15-4 record last season, do return 13 letterwinners, including three starters, for seventh-year head coach Jacque Demarco, who owns an 87-34 record in her time at Kenyon.

The list of returning players is highlighted by seniors Hannah Paterakis and Abbey Roswell. Paterakis, a midfielder, got the start in 36 games over the past two seasons. In that span, she scored nine goals and assisted on four others. Six of those nine goals were game-winners. Roswell, a forward, is hoping to contribute to the attack this year after missing all of last season due to injury. She played in 40 games her first two seasons and managed a goal and six assists.

Junior forward Hannah Sklar looks ready to join Roswell in the attack and become a leader in the Kenyon offense. She started every game for the Ladies last season and she brings to the table two-year statistics that include six goals and three assists.

Under DeMarco, the Ladies embrace a defense-first mentality and sophomores Molly Keen and Maddie Lockyer could be key pieces for that unit in 2018. Keen, a defender, started every game last season and helped hold opponents to averages of just 7.7 shots and 0.89 goals per game. Keen also played a big role in penalty corners and accumulated ten assists, a total that not only ranked first among teammates, but also first among all players in the NCAC. Lockyer, a goalkeeper, played in three games last season and kept opponents scoreless in limited minutes. She'll figure into the competition for the starting spot this season.

The rest of the sophomore class brings a wealth of versatility to the field and quite a few members of the class logged significant playing time last season. Gigi Guenther returns after scoring five times in 18 games played. Olivia O'Connell and Paulina Mendez played in all 19 games and recorded four and two goals, respectively, while Tara Shetty chipped in with three goals in 15 games played as a freshman.

There are a lot of moving pieces that DeMarco and the team need to sort out during preseason practices, but they'll have things ready to go for the August 31 season-opening game in which they host Centre College.