“We are very excited to have our schedule ready to go and to start looking forward to the season,” Natale said. “I think this schedule will provide us with valuable experience and opportunities as we lead into America East conference play. As always, the Americe East will provide a challenge, but it is one we look forward to as we compete for a league title. Most of all, I am looking forward to large and supportive crowds for each of our nine home games at Al-Marzook Field.”

The Hawks will actually take the field for the first time on August 17, visiting Holy Cross for a scrimmage at 7:00 p.m. Four days later, the season begins in earnest as Hartford hosts Long Island. The Blackbirds finished fourth in the Northeast Conference last season with an overall record of 9-8-1. Long Island won its final three regular season games by identical 1-0 scores before falling to top-seeded Central Connecticut in the NEC Tournament, 1-0.

At the end of August, Hartford will travel to Philadelphia to take part in the Temple Tournament August 27-29. The Hawks will play at Drexel on August 27, then travel across town to visit Temple on August 29. The Dragons went just 4-13-1 in 2009, although leading goal scorer Jenna Lindsay will be returning to University City for her junior season. Temple, meanwhile, went 7-11-1 last season, closing its season with back-to-back 1-0 victories over Saint Louis and Saint Joseph's.

With the start of September will come the start of a new soccer tradition at the University of Hartford, the Soccer Excellence Tournament. A round-robin event held in conjunction with Central Connecticut State, the Soccer Excellence Tournament will feature Columbia and La Salle visiting the Nutmeg State to take on the Hawks and Blue Devils.

Columbia, which finished 7-7-3 last season (3-3-1 in the Ivy League), was led by Ashlin Yehr's eight goals and 18 total points. Yehr will be a junior this season, as will starting goalkeeper Lillian Klein. La Salle came up a win shy of advancing to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, finishing the season 10-8-2. The Explorers graduated their three highest scorers from last season. Columbia will take on the Hawks on September 3, while the Explorers visit West Hartford on September 5.

Hartford remains at home through September 10, when they welcome Princeton to Al-Marzook Field at 7 p.m. The Tigers went 7-7-3 (3-3-1 in the Ivy League) last season behind the goalkeeping of Alyssa Pont, who will be a senior this season. Princeton's offensive attack was not terribly potent, with freshman Jen Hoy scoring three goals and tallying eight points to pace the Tigers.

Hartford will hit the road for games at Fairleigh Dickinson and Central Connecticut before returning home to play host to Saint Joseph's on September 19. A final non-conference test looms at Fairfield on September 23, where the Stags feature three juniors – Spenser Allaway, Jasmin Corneil and Alyssa Decker – who garnered First-Team All-MAAC recognition last season.

The America East schedule opens for the Hawks on September 26 as they travel to Stony Brook. The Seawolves finished fourth in the conference last season thanks in part to two All-Rookie Team members, Sa'sha Kershaw and Taryn Schoenbeck. Hartford and Stony Brook engaged in a tense 0-0 tie through two overtimes last season in the teams' conference opener in West Hartford.

Upon returning home from Long Island, the Hawks will enjoy a three-game homestand opening with the conference runner-up Binghamton on September 30 and closing with the three-time defending America East champions from Boston University on October 7. In between, the Hawks will take on Albany on October 3. Hartford knocked off the Great Danes 2-0 last season, and despite falling to both Binghamton and Boston University, the Hawks battled hard in both contests, dropping 1-0 decisions both times.

Trips to Vermont and Maine will precede the annual Senior Day ceremony on October 21 as the Hawks do battle with UMBC for their final home game of the year. Hartford's regular season concludes on October 24 at New Hampshire, and the America East Championship will begin on October 28 with the championship game to be played on November 6 or 7.