Garden City, N.Y. -

The Adelphi University field hockey team wasted no time making a splash in its young tenure in the Northeast-10 Conference, and a recent second-place finish in the Preseason Coaches' Poll shows that the Panthers have earned the respect of their opponents after last year's trip to the NE-10 Semifinals. A senior class of nine that sports two All-Americans will lead a Panther squad capable of shaking things up atop the league standings, which have been dominated by a select few teams in recent years. The next chapter of Adelphi field hockey begins on September 1 at home at 4 p.m. against Bloomsburg University, ranked third in the nation in last week's Kookaburra/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Preseason Poll.

The Panthers' third season in the NE-10 follows a 13-9 record in 2010 and a march to the conference tournament that ended with a 4-2 loss to eventual-national champions UMass-Lowell. Things started slow for Adelphi with three consecutive losses to start the season, but the Panthers took hold of their fate and won eight of their next 10 contests to put themselves in postseason contention. Head Coach Gloria O'Connor said the rocky start put things in perspective for the team.

"Any time you commit to go on the road early in the season and play back-to-back games against nationally ranked teams is an opportunity to compete while assessing where we are as a team and what adjustments need to be made to win," said O'Connor, who enters her fourth year at the helm of the Panthers. "By playing Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg early last season, we ultimately became a better team."

The 2011 squad looks to be one of the most experienced in the league with 19 returners, most notably senior All-Americans and NE-10 First Team selections Jeanette Heimerle and Julianne Gerbino. The highly-decorated duo combined for 82 points in 2011 and ranked among the league and national leaders in several offensive categories.

Forwards

Heimerle, a Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II First-Team All-American, led the nation in assists, finished third in the NE-10 in points and seventh in the nation in points per game.

Gerbino placed in the top-seven in the NE-10 in shots, points, goals and assists to earn Second-Team All-American honors, and alongside Heimerle, helped the Panthers rank second among NE-10 teams in scoring.

"Watching both Jeanette and Julianne evolve as players and athletes has been a pleasure," O'Connor said. "They have the potential to dominate the conference."

A trio of juniors will support the elite scoring tandem of Heimerle and Gerbino. Cassie Cabral comes off a fine sophomore season during which she finished third on the team with five goals and 12 points while seeing action in all 22 games. Erin Grekin chipped in three goals in 2010, and Alyssa Conklin adds quickness and a strong stick as a backup forward.

First-year Carly Aceves comes all the way from La Mesa, Calif., to round out the Panthers' supply of forwards. O'Connor believes that Aceves' work ethic and natural athleticism will help her make an immediate impact on the Brown and Gold attack.

Midfield

Seniors Brittany Kinsley and Theresa Murphy will serve as the veteran midfielders after combining for 17 points last season. Kinsley led the team with five defensive saves and added 10 points, while Murphy garnered NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week accolades for her stellar play in back-to-back home wins over Bentley and Merrimack in late October.

Fellow seniors Jessica Mulhern and Michelle Maurici add versatility to the midfield.

"Jessica and Michelle have tremendous speed and have worked extremely hard which makes them invaluable utility players who can play multiple positions on the field," O'Connor said.

Sophomore Jamie Ackerman had an outstanding debut season and landed on the NE-10 All-Rookie Team, and will lead a pack of returning midfielders that includes Jami DeGrote, Emilee Rahner and Brittany Souke.

"Our midfielders are in great shape and return as experienced players who understand the importance of ball distribution," O'Connor said.

Freshman and Long Island native Briana Rubenstein, who O'Connor dubs a "feisty competitor with strong defensive skills," joins the team ready to compete for playing time as a midfielder or defender.

Defense

In order for the Panthers to return to the postseason, the defensive unit will have to shut down some of the strongest attack players in the country. O'Connor will rely on seniors Crystal Gray and Alexandra Dranoff and junior Danielle Demola to complete a formidable Adelphi defense this fall. Gray has led all Panther defenders in scoring two seasons running, and Dranoff and Demola combined to start all but two games in 2010.

"One of our team goals will be to reduce the number of shots taken by our opponents," O'Connor said. "Our defenders are all returning players who bring the knowledge and skill to elevate their games."

Goal

"We are very fortunate to have two very talented keepers on our roster," said O'Connor, who will stick with the tried-and-true combo of senior Lucia Vigliotti and junior Kristine Puzio in net.

Vigliotti enters her third season as the starting goalie after earning double-digit wins for the second year in a row. In 2010, she posted a 2.02 goals against average, ranking her fourth among NE-10 goalies.

Puzio will challenge Vigliotti for time in net, and saw a career-high 400-plus minutes in goal last season.

Schedule

The Panthers open the season against #3 Bloomsburg and look to return the favor of last season's 3-1 road loss to the then-defending National Champions. Seven of Adelphi's first eight games are non-conference contests that feature league opponents such as Franklin Pierce, Saint Michael's, Stonehill and American International.

The team's NE-10 home opener is slated for September 10 against the Assumption College Greyhounds, who the Panthers swept 7-0 and 5-1 in 2010. Other notable matchups include a rematch of last season's NE-10 Semifinal game when the Panthers host the River Hawks of UMass-Lowell on September 17 for a non-league battle.

Adelphi will have the blessing of playing 10 of its first 13 games on Motamed Field, where the Panthers surged to a 7-2 home record last season. The Brown and Gold cap the 2011 crusade with six NE-10 contests, five of which send the Panthers on the road, and play their final regular season home game on October 15 against Stonehill.