CHESTER, Pa. – The Widener University field hockey team has released its schedule for the upcoming 2022 season — its 51st season in program history. The Pride, under the guidance of head coach Melissa McCarthy, will have a 17-game slate that features 10 home games at Edith R. Dixon Field, two teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament, and a pair of teams that the Pride will be playing for the first time in a few years.
 
"I am very excited to unveil the 2022 Widener Field Hockey schedule," McCarthy said. "After all of our success in 2021, it was important for us to continue challenging ourselves with top-notch competition. We will be competing against two teams who reached the NCAA tournament (Messiah and Rowan) and added two teams back into the schedule from a few years ago (Drew and Stockton). The competitive second half of our season will push us to consistently play our best hockey when it matters most, and hopefully prepare us for another run at the MAC Commonwealth Championship!"
 
The Pride will open the season on Sept. 1 with a home night game against local rival Swarthmore. The Pride will follow that up with a home contest against Delaware Valley on Sept. 3.
 
After an away game on Sept. 8 against Cabrini and a home date with Goucher on Sept. 10, the Pride will head to Madison, N.J. on Sept. 13 to take on Drew, a team they will face for the first time since 2018. Following the Drew game will be two straight home games for the Blue and Gold, the first being a Saturday afternoon affair against Albright on Sept. 17 and the second being a night game against Immaculata on Sept. 21.
 
The Pride will open up MAC Commonwealth play on Sept. 24 when they travel to face Stevenson for a 1 p.m. clash. Three days later, the Pride will host Stockton, a team they will face for the first time since 2016.
 
October will begin with one of the biggest games of the year for the Pride, as they take on Messiah in a rematch of last year's MAC Commonwealth championship game at Messiah. The Pride will look to avenge their 7-3 loss to the Falcons from that title game contest and a 3-2 double-overtime defeat in the regular season last year at Widener.
 
After an away game at Arcadia on Oct. 5, Widener will host three straight home games, starting with Lebanon Valley on Oct. 8. Then on Oct. 11, the Pride will host Rowan, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals last year. The Pride will then host York in a MAC Commonwealth matchup on Homecoming weekend on Oct. 15.
 
The Pride will conclude the season with three straight MAC Commonwealth games, as they head to Eastern on Oct. 19, host Hood on Oct. 22, and travel to Alvernia on Oct. 26.
 
Widener is coming off a historic 15-6 campaign in which it advanced to the MAC Commonwealth championship game for the first time in program history and tied the program record for wins in a season. The Pride also advanced to the semifinals of the ECAC Tournament.