If a road trip really can be considered a team building experience, then the 2019 Hamline women's soccer team should come back a tight unit. The Pipers cross two time zones and a couple of thousand miles to kick off 2019 near Spokane, Washington.

HU will look to grab a pair of W's against a pair of W's August 30-31. 

The Pipers face Whitworth University on the latter's home field to open the season. The next afternoon, Hamline faces Whitman on Whitworth's field. The host Pirates were third in the Northwest Conference last season, finishing with a 12-5-3 overall standard. However, they graduated nine seniors from that team. Whitman went 4-14-2 last year. But the Blues already have 2019 experience under their belt, thanks to a series of four friendlies they played in England earlier this month. 

Third year HBU head coach Emily Cripe welcomed 17 returnees to practices at Paterson and Klas Field, including seven of last year's top eight point getters as well as three players who saw service in goal. 

Ciara Gregory, a MIAC Honorable Mention recipient last fall and Siri Parker -- senior forwards who scored four goals apiece last year -- return to bolster the offensive attack as does junior Ashlee Olson, who scored three times in seven games before being injured. In the midfield, senior Jenna Sampson (second on the team with 17 shots on goal last year) and junior Kaelin O'Fallon, both of whom played all 18 games last season, are back.

The defensive wall features senior stalwarts Ali Eastman and Jackie Stubbs and junior Hannah Schatz. The goaltending job is up for grabs between junior Kat Armstrong (10 career games), soph Lauren Sicora (1.06 GAA in seven games in 2018) and junior Melanie Hopkins, who has appeared in 10 games in two seasons at HU.

The above will be joined by eight fresh faces - six of which are freshmen. One of the 2019 newcomers is Jordan Roderick-Fried, a junior forward who scored three goals in 2017. 

After the pair of tilts in Washington, Hamline opens a nine game Paterson Field slate starts against MIAC foe Macalester on Monday, September 9.