SOUTH HADLEY, MASS. – The Mount Holyoke Soccer team opens the 2017 campaign on Friday, September 1, getting another shot at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, who bested MHC in the final minute of the game last season. Under the direction of 11th year head coach Kanae Haneishi, the Lyons will look to top an 8-10 overall mark of a year ago.

TOP FIVE MOMENTS FROM LAST YEAR

• Zoe Marshall '17 earned NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week after a 12-stop, 1-0 victory over Clark, and a nine save effort in a 3-2 win over Wellesley. Rising senior Sara Sanaú Ruiz was honored as the Offensive Athlete of the Week after scoring three goals with a pair of assists in the back-to-back victories. (WATCH CLIP).
• Sanaú Ruiz earned All-Conference First Team, while Marshall was a Second Team selection.
• Sanaú Ruiz garnered All-New England Third Team recognition.
• Rising sophomores McKenna Lamb and Hannah Finn-Erb each tallied hat tricks in their first collegiate competitions.
• Marshall was selected to participate in the NEWISA Senior Bowl.

TOP FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

• Goal production: The Lyons look to continue their progress after scoring 30 goals a season ago – the most since nearly 12 years ago.
• Much like last year, the Lyons will play eleven home matches in which they outlasted their opponents in eight out of 11 games a season ago.
• MHC saw four players reach double-digit scoring numbers last fall. Sanaú Ruiz looks to pace the Lyons offensive production in 2017, having led the conference in assists as a sophomore (13), and finishing second among the NEWMAC's best in goals (15) as a first year.
• Following back-to-back seasons in which Zoe Marshall led the NEWMAC in saves, the Lyons will look to junior veteran Amanda Manaster to fill the starting spot in goal.
• The 2017 campaign will see 19 potential returners, including all 10 of its top scorers from 2016.