This season, the Red Hawks will be returning a large portion of last season’s offensive production, with their two leading goal-scorers, senior forward Sarah Hinz and senior midfielder Judy Kastner, back on the roster. The two each tallied four goals on the season, tying for the team lead. Hinz was also the team’s leader in assists, recording four in total.

Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan White also returns for the Red Hawks. As a freshman last season, White started 16 of the team’s 18 contests and finished with a .792 save percentage and a 1.42 goals against average. She was also awarded Defensive Performer of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors for the Liberty League. Hinz and juniors Jacquelyn Garlasco and Briana Bet will lead the team as captains.

Every year, players are lost to graduation, leaving the team with its less experienced members. However, Farmer is optimistic as he points to the talented incoming freshmen. He said,“They’re very fit, and they’re pretty mature in their decision-making on the field, so I think they’ll step in right away and give us something.”

According to Farmer, the two biggest strengths of the team are its unity and being an unknown. He stated that “people won’t know quite what to expect of us.”

Last season, the team finished with a record of 6-10-2 (1-6-0 Liberty League). The Red Hawks allowed just eight goals while scoring 17 in their first 10 games to jump out to a 6-3-1 record, mostly against non-Liberty League opponents. In the final eight games, when they really got into the meat of the conference schedule, the team struggled, allowing nearly twice that many goals while scoring just three times, going 0-7-1 over that span.

This season, the team aims to post a winning percentage of at least .750 at home and at least .500 on the road. “People have to come in here and know that its going to be a hard-fought game, and no easy points on our home field,” stated Farmer in explaining the team’s goal of protecting its home field throughout the year.

Farmer joins the team from the University of Wisconsin, where he was an assistant coach of the women’s soccer team. He had also previously led the men’s soccer team at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford for one season.

In his time at RPI, Farmer looks to turn the team into an annual contender. “I’d like to be competitive nationally, for the national championship and the Liberty League championship year in, year out.”

The Red Hawks will open the season against the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders on Saturday at 2 pm. The next day, the team will face the SUNY New Paltz Hawks at 11 am. Both games are scheduled to be held in Schenectady, N.Y.