MANSFIELD – The wait is finally over. Mountaineer athletics are back in action as three programs are set to open the 2021 campaign. The week will feature seven events total, with six of those happening in Mansfield.  
 
COVERAGE
 
Field Hockey
 
Field Hockey has the honor of hosting the Dr. Art Degenaro Classic at Karl Van Norman Field for the first time since 2016, during two-time PSAC Coach of the Year Brittany Hansrote's second season in charge.  
 
Games will be played on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5 at Karl Van Norman Field.
 
The Classic features: Kutztown, Southern Connecticut, St. Michaels College and the Mounties. Mansfield takes on St. Michael's at 11 a.m. on Saturday before closing the weekend by hosting Southern Connecticut at 2 p.m. on Sunday. All games will feature live stats and video and can be found here.  
 
Cross Country
 
The Mountie Invitational will take place on Thursday, Sept. 2 and will feature a dual meet with Bloomsburg University. The women's race will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the men to follow at 6:00 p.m. The meet is at Lamb's creek cross country course, the first time the Mounties return home since 2017. Results, recap, photos and video will be posted on gomounties.com as soon as they are made available.
 
Women's Soccer
 
The women's soccer team will take the trek to University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Sunday, Sept. 5 for a 2 p.m. PSAC East match. Live stats for the game can be found here.
 
GAP YEAR
 
The entire PSAC field hockey season was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the last Mountaineer game over 669 days ago. Limiting their training to small groups at select times, the field hockey athletes are eager to test their strengths against a nationally ranked schedule.
 
Cross Country had to hold their season off until the spring, while narrowing their schedule to just one meet which also served as the PSAC Championship.  
 
In the same situation as field hockey, the women's soccer team has not competed in a live contest in over 665 days.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Field Hockey
The Mountaineers are coming off a 12-7 record, their first postseason berth since the 2010 season and their highest win total since 2001. The Mountaineers reached No. 10 in the national poll while ranking top-10 nationally in assists per game (seventh, 1.74), save percentage (fifth, .814), defensive saves (sixth, nine) and are tied for ninth in shutouts (six).
 
Senior standouts Dana Evans and Brittany Ryan were named NFHCA All-Americans, while fellow Meghan Griffin, Larissa Motts and Madison Wilinsky were recognized to the All-PSAC and Hansrote was named Coach of the Year.
 
Cross Country
Although the program was only able to compete in one meet last season, it was the conference championship event, and it did not lack an impressive story.
 
Rising junior Carly Daniels raced to All-PSAC honors at the 2020-21 PSAC Championships hosted by Lock Haven University. Daniels finished 18th in the women's 5K race, with a time of 19:30.1 to earn 2nd-Team All-PSAC. She jumped 125 places from her 6K finish at last year's PSAC Championships.
 
In the men's race, sophomores Christian Tanner and Kevin Heeman were the top two Mountaineer finishers placing 39th and 48th, with times of 16:26.0 and 16:35.9. 
 
Women's Soccer
 
The Mounties are looking to rebound from a 1-15 effort in conference play in 2019,  but have since grown their roster to 30 athletes and have a solid foundation in place.
 
The Mounties played very competitive soccer against nationally ranked West Chester and Bloomsburg, holding both power houses to a scoreless-tie through the first half.
 
Junior Olivia Bowman returns after leading the squad in assists in 2019, while goalie Stephanie Moir returns as the leader in minutes (1603) and saves (211).
 
NEW-LOOK MOUNTIES
 
Field Hockey
Field hockey, who does not have a senior on the roster, return nine veterans and 11 rookies from last season's recruiting class. The 2021 recruiting class is eight deep, rounding out the roster at 28 athletes.
 
Cross Country
The women's roster features nine athletes, seven of which are returners with two newcomers. The men also showcase a roster of nine, however four are returners and five are new to the program.
 
Women's Soccer
A year after adding 15 newcomers to the program in 2020, Shaffer followed by adding five midfielders, two defenders, two forwards and one goalie to grow the roster to 30.
 
Mansfield returns five and will turn to each of them to lead a group of 25 who have not competed in a collegiate contest.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
 
Field Hockey
The Mounties have a quick turn around after the Fall Classic and will travel to Mercyhurst on Wednesday, Sept. 8 for a 3 p.m. non-conference game.
 
Cross Country
Cross country will have a two-week recovery period as they prep for their next meet at Lock Haven University on Saturday, Sept. 25.
 
Women's Soccer
Women's soccer returns home on Wednesday, Sept. 8 when they host PSAC East foe West Chester University at 1 p.m. at the MU Soccer Field
 
Sprint Football
Sprint Football will open their season by hosting CSFL North rival Cornell University on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at Karl Van Norman Field.
 
More information on the program will be presented as the season approaches.
 
Updates will be provided on our official Mountaineer Athletic social media accounts (@MUmounties). Follow us all season long for full coverage of our 13 programs.