Thursday, August 31 | at Bellarmine | Louisville, Ky. | Trager Stadium | 3 p.m. | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO 
Saturday, September 2 | at Miami (Ohio) (Theresa Check Invitational) | Oxford, Ohio | Miami Field Hockey Complex | 12 p.m. 
Sunday, September 3 | vs. Indiana U (Theresa Check Invitational) | Oxford, Ohio | Miami Field Hockey Complex | 12 p.m. 
 
OPENING STICK VS. BELLARMINE
Thursday's match between Saint Francis and Bellarmine marks the sixth meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 2004 season. The Red Flash looks for its second-straight win against the Knights and will be making its second trip to Kentucky in the last three seasons.
 
THE WORD ON BELLARMINE
The Knights come into the contest 1-1 on the year after coming on the good and the bad end of 3-1 decisions. Paige Hoyer leads the team with two tallies and an assist for five points, while Alicia Hudson and Teresa Schmidt each had a goal apiece. Kailey Workman has a 2.00 goals against average, 14 saves and a .778 save percentage this season.

LAST TIME WE MET BELLARMINE
Saint Francis scored the final three goals of the afternoon to come away with a 3-1 win against Bellarmine on October 22, 2022. Carysse Norris, Ella Maillie and Eugenia Kenny each found the twine for the Red Flash, while Chloe Butz had two assists and Kenny and Eva Valentini each dished out one helper on the day. Amber Bryan made four saves and Chloe South had three stops in 30 minutes of work each.
  
OPENING STICK VS. MIAMI (OHIO)
Saturday's match against Miami (Ohio) marks the sixth meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 2012 season. All six meetings have occurred on the road.
 
THE WORD ON MIAMI (OHIO)
Miami (Ohio) comes into the contest 2-0 after winning a pair of games on the West Coast to start the season. Carlie Servis leads the team with two tallies on the year, while Mary Kate Barbee and Claudia Negrete Garcia each have a goal on the year. Isabelle Perese has registered seven saves, a 0.50 goals against average and a .875 save percentage in the first two tilts.
 
LAST TIME WE MET MIAMI (OHIO)
Miami (Ohio) defeated the Red Flash 4-0 on August 28, 2022. Amber Bryan had four saves and Chloe South turned away seven shots after each goalkeeper worked a half for the Red Flash.
 
OPENING STICK VS. INDIANA
Sunday's match against Indiana marks the second meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 2018 season. The Hoosiers downed the Loretto program in the first meeting, 4-2.
 
THE WORD ON INDIANA
The Hoosiers come into the week 0-2 after losing to a pair of ranked opponents, including a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 14 Liberty on Sunday. Keid Sydney leads the team with two markers on the year, while Ines Garcia Prado is second on the team with a goal and an assist for three points. Sarah Charley and Maggie Carter have also scored this season.Arabella Loveridge leads the goalkeepers with a 2.31 goals against average, 11 saves and a .846 save percentage.
 
LAST TIME WE MET INDIANA
Despite Hannah Retherford and Samantha Olton scoring the first two goals for Saint Francis in the first 30 minutes, Indiana rallied for a 4-2 win on September 9, 2018. Elizabeth Dyer made eight saves in 70 minutes of work for the Loretto program.

NEXT TIME OUT
After the three games in a four-day span, the Red Flash returns to Loretto to host Lock Haven on September 6 and Ball State two days later for the only stretch of more than one game in a row at home this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Saint Francis opened the season with a 6-0 win against Queens on August 25 and then traveled to Longwood for a 1-0 win on Sunday. Consu de Castro registered a pair of goals, while Julia Breneman, Marie Sattler and Eva Valentini each added a goal and an assist in the win against Queens. Madison Waldspurger registered the lone goal against Longwood off an assist from Olivia Muffitt. Amber Bryan played 105 of the 120 minutes in goal and registered five saves, while notching her first solo shutout against Longwood.

NEC HONORS
Amber Bryan was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week and Consu de Castro was selected as the NEC Rookie of the Week for the first week of the season. Bryan did not allow a goal in 105 minutes in the week with five saves, while de Castro scored two goals against Queens in a 6-0 victory on August 25, including the game-winner. Waldspurger registered the lone goal in a 1-0 win against Longwood on August 27. It is the second time in program history a player has been named NEC Defensive Player of the Week for the Red Flash after fellow goalkeeper Chloe South was named the top defender on September 20, 2021, which was also the only time the Red Flash won multiple awards in the same week. de Castro marks the 11th time in program history it has registered a NEC Rookie of the Week honor. 
 
WHAT A START
Saint Francis has started the season 2-0 for the third time in program history, joining the 2012 and 2014 teams. The 2014 iteration of the Red Flash won its first eight games of the season, while the 2012 team won its first two games and then lost its third match of the season. In addition, the Red Flash opened the season with a 6-0 win against Queens on August 25 for its first season opening win since 2018 and the fifth time in program history (all five times have come since 2012). With a win against Bellarmine, the Red Flash will continue its best start and match the 2014 start. With a loss, the squad would be off to its second best start and match the 2012 team's start.

If the Red Flash win its next two games, it would still be off to its best start along with the 2014 team, while if the team goes 1-1 in the next two games, it would be 3-1 for the second time in program history (2012). Two losses in the next two matches would mean the Loretto program would be 2-2 for the fifth time in program history (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018). 

Over the weekend, three wins would equal the 2014 start of 5-0, while the team has never been 4-1 in the first five games of the season and has been 3-2 through five games four times (2012, 2015, 2017, 2018).
 
MILESTONE ALERT
Junior Eva Valentini ranks sixth in program history for career points (55) and goals (21). She can move into fifth place in goals with two tallies and fifth place in points with four points. The junior registered the fifth-most points in a single season in 2022 with 30 points and the fourth-most goals with 12 markers.

Freshman Consu de Castro became the first freshman in program history to open the season with with two goals in a game. de Castro becomes the first Saint Francis player to score twice in a season opener since Taylor Nesmith found the back of the cage twice against Kent State in the 2019 season opener. Along with being the first freshman to have a multi-goal performance, it marks the sixth time a player has registered more than one tally in the opener and the fourth different player.
 
RETURNING ALL-NEC
Saint Francis returns 2022 All-NEC first-team performer Eva Valentini, second-team honoree Dolores Zavaleta and 2021 All-NEC second-team performer Claudia Ortiz in 2021. Valentini, who was an second-team recipient in 2022, paced the Red Flash with 12 goals and six assists for 30 points. Zavaleta paced the team with six assists along with two goals for 10 points. She registered an assist on all three goals against LIU in 2022 to become the third player in program history to turn the trick. Ortiz ranked second with six tallies and four assists for 16 points in 2021.

STICKING AROUND FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Seniors Amber Bryan, Riley Kromer, Claudia Ortiz and Chloe South have all come back for their fifth season. Bryan and Kromer are in their fifth season in Loretto, while South is in her fourth after transferring from La Salle after one season and Ortiz is in her third year after two seasons at Kent State.

NEW TO THE 'LO
Freshmen Consu de Casto, T Ciaccia, Mia DiGenova, Grace Reed, Dolores Riegé and Marie Sattler and joined the team for the 2023 season. All five players made their collegiate debut against Queens on August 27 with de Castro and Sattler earning their first collegiate starting nod. de Castro notched a pair of goals, Sattler registered a goal and an assist and Riege had an assist against the Royals. DiGenova had a save in 15 minutes. 
 
TOO MANY ANTHEMS TO PLAY
Along with 17 players from the United States, head coach Maria Bettiana Ceretta has four players from Argentina (Consu de Castro, Dolores Riegé, Dolores Zavaleta, Eva Valentini), two players from Canada (Francesca Primomo, Hannah Rohrer), one from Germany (Marie Sattler) and one from Spain (Claudia Ortiz) for the 2023 season.
 
ABOUT THE COACH
Head coach Maria Bettiana Ceretta is in her seventh season as the field hockey head coach at Saint Francis. She led the Red Flash back to the postseason for the sixth time in program history and the third time in NEC play last season. Ceretta is the second winningest head coach in program history. In 2022, she became an American citizen.