ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University field hockey team will open up its inaugural season as a varsity program on Friday, August 29 at Houghton University when the Saxons face Neumann University at 2:30pm.
 
Head Coach Adair Milmoe arrived at AU in late September of 2024 as the program's first leader. During her first year as a Saxon coach, she got to work at recruiting the program's first roster, which started off with seven current Alfred University students. Those trailblazers started with Annie Smith (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), Sydney Angelo (Windsor, NY/Windsor Central), Isabella Casalinova (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union), Izzy Santella (Middleport, NY/Royalton-Hartland), Molly Howlett (Brockport, NY/Brockport), Ruby Kavanagh (Queens, NY/LaGuardia High School of Music & Art) and Victoria Hladik (Rotterdam, NY/Mohonasen).
 
Both Angelo and Howlett are also current members of the Alfred University women's lacrosse team. Santella and Kavanagh were members of the AU cheerleading program and Kavanagh also dives for the Saxon women's swimming & diving team.
 
Coach Milmoe's roster size has grown to 18 Saxons. Goalie SadieLyn Combs (Harpursville, NY/Harpursville) transferred in from SUNY Cortland after playing for Coach Milmoe at Wells College. The Saxons also welcome in Valérie Borg du Prie (Brussels, Belgium/European School Ixelles) as an incoming player from Brussels, Belgium. Both players were noted as Players to Watch within the Empire 8.
 
"The team is extremely excited! We are upbeat, working hard and creating great relationships," Head Coach Milmoe said. "We are creating a culture based on principles of 'hard, smart, together'. Hard for give your best daily, 100% effort. Smart for make good choices on and off the field. Together for unselfish play. The values of competition plus caring can coexist to succeed."
 
Smith, Angelo and Santella were all named captains in a player vote.
 
Coach Milmoe is joined on the coaching staff by Assistant Coach Jordan Nichols who is a familiar face within the Empire 8, having graduated from Keuka College just this past year. "Coach Jordan is doing a fantastic job! She is reliable, steady and a great source of information for the team," Coach Milmoe said.
 
The Saxon field hockey team will be road warriors for the first half of the season, competing in their first eight games as the traveling visitors. Out of the remaining 10 games of the regular season, seven of them will be played at Yunevich Stadium.
 
Alfred University opens with weekend at nearby Houghton University, taking on Neumann on Friday at 2:30pm and then facing Lancaster Bible College on Saturday, August 30 also at 2:30pm. AU will have another three road games following the Houghton weekend against non-conference Wilkes University (9/3 at 4:30pm), Cedar Crest College (9/6 at 1:00pm) and SUNY Oneonta (9/13 at 12:00pm) before opening up its Empire 8 schedule. The Saxons will begin conference play at Nazareth University on Tuesday, September 23 at 5:00pm. This will be the first of four straight Empire 8 games as the Saxons travel to Russell Sage College (9/27 at 3:00pm) and SUNY Brockport (10/1 at 7:00pm) and then will host their first home contest during Homecoming Weekend. They will welcome in the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College on Saturday, October 4 at 4:30pm.
 
AU then takes to the road for a non-conference matchup with SUNY Morrisville (10/6 at 4:00pm) before another four E8 games, starting with St. John Fisher University at home (10/8 at 5:00pm), Utica University on the road (10/11 at 4:00pm), SUNY Geneseo at home (10/15 at 4:00pm) and at Keuka College (10/18 at 12:00pm).
 
The Saxons then host Division II D'youville University on Monday, October 20 at 4:00pm before back-to-back home Empire 8 games against Houghton (10/22 at 4:00pm) and Hartwick College (10/25 at 4:30pm). The game against Hartwick will mark the regular season conference finale for the Saxons before they face Oswego State on Wednesday, October 29 at 4:00pm on Merrill Field at Yunevich Stadium, ending the regular season.