Time to Get Things Started: The latest installment of Towson field hockey gets underway this weekend as the Tigers begin their first season under new head coach E.A. Jackson. The Tigers will split the weekend with one road and one home game. The 2017 campaign kicks off at Rutgers for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers then return home to host Longwood on Sunday at 5 p.m. Links to live stats and the video feed can be found on the schedule page of TowsonTigers.com. Fans can also follow the Tigers on Twitter (@Towson_FH) for updates throughout the weekend.

Looking at the Tigers: The Tigers return 13 letter winners and seven starters from a year ago. Leading the way for the returners will be senior Emilee Woodall, who made 165 saves a year ago. Junior Devon Hake led the team in assists (three) while sophomore Carli Herman posted a team-high two defensive saves last season. The Tigers welcome a talented incoming class of 13 newcomers.

Scouting the Opponents: Rutgers hosts Kent State on Friday before welcoming the Tigers to town on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights went 9-9 last year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Nikki Santore returns after leading Rutgers with nine goals and four assists for 22 points last fall. Amanda Lamb posted a 2.50 goals against average and a .594 save percentage in 14 games last year.

Longwood opens the season by hosting Villanova on Friday before traveling to Towson on Sunday. Edel Nyland led the Lancers last fall with 18 goals and six assists for 42 points. Lil-Sophie Achterwinter did a little bit of everything for Longwood with three goals and three assists for nine points and also posted a team-high two defensive saves.

Series History: The Tigers and Scarlet Knights will be meeting for just the fourth time overall and first time since the 2007. Rutgers claimed a 1-0 victory in that meeting while the Tigers earned a 3-2 win during the 1977 season. The two squads played to a 4-4 tie in 1975.

Sunday's game will be the 13th all-time meeting between the Tigers and Lancers. Longwood holds a 6-5-1 edge in the series after claiming a 2-0 win over the Tigers in last year's season opener. Towson's last win in the series came in 2014 as the Tigers earned a 3-2 win at Longwood.

Take Me to Your Leader: Towson enters the 2017 season with a new face at the helm of the program. E.A. Jackson was named the program's 12th head coach in February of 2017. Jackson came to Towson after two years as the head coach at Eastern Mennonite University. She helped the Royals double their win total in her second season. Jackson will be joined on the sidelines by assistant coach Heather Hodges.

Saves, Saves, Saves: Towson senior Emilee Woodall returns for her final campaign after a big junior year in goal. Woodall finished 2016 with 165 saves after making double digit saves in nine games. Woodall ranked second in the nation in saves per game (11.00) and tied for third for save percentage (.764).

Welcome to the Pack: The Tigers welcome 13 newcomers to their lineup in 2017. The newcomers include five attackers, two midfielder, three players that could see time at attack or mifield, two that could see time at midfield or on defense and a goalkeeper. The group comes from five states and one country. It also includes a pair of high school teammates in Mountain View High School's Nathalie Tortolero and Yasmine White.

Up Next: The Tigers remain home for a pair of games next weekend. The Tigers will host Lock Haven on Friday night before welcoming Saint Francis University to town on Sunday afternoon.