University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Open Preseason With Welcome Back Dinner
August 11, 2015 | Field Hockey
The North Carolina field hockey team kicked off its 2015 season Monday evening with the traditional Welcome Back Dinner, held this year at the Dean E. Smith Center. A total of 30 players – including 11 freshmen – dined with their families and the UNC coaches and support staff in anticipation of the start of practice on Tuesday.
“Tonight was so much fun,” said UNC's Karen Shelton, who is heading into her 35th season as the Tar Heels' head coach. “It's great getting everyone together for the first time. There was so much excitement in the room tonight, and we're all looking forward to getting everyone on the field. I can't wait to see our veterans and our newcomers all out there tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing what kind of team this group can become.”
Freshmen joining the Tar Heel program this week are: Leila Evans (Charlotte, N.C.), Catherine Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.), Malin Evert (Bad Schwartau, Germany), Morgan Goetz (Cary, N.C.), Ali Rushton (Media, Pa.), Eva van't Hoog (Den Haag, the Netherlands), Austyn Cuneo (Waterford Works, N.J.), Marissa Creatore (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Ellen Payne (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Mary Kathryn Harrah (Yorktown, Va.). Another freshman, Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.), enrolled at UNC in January and practiced with the Tar Heels all spring.
Carolina hosts Liberty for a scrimmage on Saturday at Francis E. Henry Stadium. The Tar Heels host Old Dominion for another scrimmage the following Saturday, Aug. 22, then open the season on Aug. 29 at Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
