Expectations have been raised for head coach Carol Di Girolamo and the Delaware Valley College field hockey team as nine starters are back from a unit that posted a 10-10 overall record (4-3 in conference play) Conference) and reached the Freedom Conference semifinals where they put quite a scare into nationally-ranked Eastern University before falling in overtime.

The two starters that were lost to graduation are huge shoes to fill in 2009 Freedom Conference Player of the Year Bethany Pavlik (13 goals, 30 points )and all-conference forward Danielle Heyne (6 goals, 20 points), who scored the playoff-tying goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

However, two all-conference, second-team honorees are back in junior goalkeeper Hollis Hancock (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil Academy) and senior defender Kate Highberger (Haddon Heights, NJ/Camden Catholic).

Hancock shined in her first year as a starter and she notched 158 saves and five shutouts, en route to a 1.79 goals against average. Eleven of her stops came in the playoff contest with Eastern, many in spectacular fashion.

Highberger paced the Aggie defense in front of Hancock and helped hold opponents to just 13.7 shots per game.

The senior trio of Holly Rich (Wharton, NJ/Roxbury), Mindy Miniconzi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland) and Marissa Di Miero (Delran, NJ/Delran) return after combining for 45 points last season.

Rich, a forward, tied for second on the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 20 points. She did pace the squad with five, game-winning tallies.

Miniconzi moves to the midfield position vacated by Pavlik's graduation. The big hitter racked up four goals and six assists for 14 points last season.

DiMiero, who missed the playoff game with an illness, scored four goals and assisted on three others for 11 points from her forward position.

Sophomore midfielder Rony Jacober (Sugarloaf, PA/Hazleton) and senior forward Nikki Rogers (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) are coming off a solid campaign that saw them record nine and eight points respectively. Jacober had three goals and three assists while Rogers added three tallies and two helpers.

Senior Katy Provenzale (Andover, NJ/Newton) will move to midfield after starting all 20 games on defense last season.

Sophomore Sara Culver (Elkton, MD/Rising Sun) and junior Missy Milanese (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan) round out the returning letterwinners. Culver started all 20 contests on defense while Milanese scored one goal and assisted on another for three points in 18 appearances.