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Series Info: Tech and the Dukes have met in each of the last ten seasons, but the Hokies have been unable to overcome James Madison ... Despite the losses, there has been a total of six goals that have decided the last three meetings between the nearby schools ... The Hokies fell to JMU at home last season after going into the half tied at six, the Dukes decided the 9-8 game with 1:33 left to play.

Scouting James Madison: The Dukes will open their season hosting the Hokies on Saturday. They finished last year with an 11-6 record. James Madison was picked to finish second the Colonial Athletic Conference and saw four players named to the preseason All-Conference team - Amy Roguski, Ali Curwin, Lexi Cross and Schylar Healy.

Despite losing five senior starters from last season, including leading scorer Casey Ancarrow, the Dukes return their second leading scorer from a year ago in Roguski. Roguski put away 34 goals last season. Curwin was also a key contributor on offense last season, scoring 20 goals and assisting 12 more.

Cross is one of James Madison’s top returning defenders after finishing second on the team with 27 ground balls last year, and leading the squad with 15 caused turnovers.

Healy returns in cage for the Dukes after accumulating a 9-6 record a year ago in 15 starts. She led the team with 33 ground balls, also posting a 9.52 GAA and a .486 save percentage.

Hokie Notes

-- The Hokies return six starters from last season, including five of the team’s top seven scorers from a year ago.

-- Tech finished the 2013 season at 8-8 and has yet to suffer a losing season since head coach Megan Burker took over in 2011.

-- Seniors Julia Heaps, Kelly Naslonski, Lindsay Roche and Becca Niles will captain the Hokies this season.

-- Tech welcomes 10 freshmen this season, as well as two new assistant coaches.

-- Entering the season, seven of Tech’s opponents are ranked the national polls, with two more, including James Madison, receiving votes.

-- Junior Meg Bartley returns for the Hokies this year after leading the ACC in draw controls last season and ranking in the top 20 in the nation.

-- The Hokies had six players named to the All-ACC Academic team last year, three of which are on the 2014 roster (Macera, Naslonski, Will).

Record Watch: Junior Meg Bartley has already broken into the all-time top 10, and is in sixth place with 112 career draws. She has also made her second notch on the single-seasons draw list, ranking second with 69 last year.

Redshirt senior Julia Heaps is on the brim of cracking into the top-10 at Tech as she has 30 career assists, needing just five more to crack the list.

Junior Megan Will’s 42 goals last season landed her on the single-season scoring list, ranking seventh. She is on pace to break into the all-time scoring list this season. She has 72 goals entering the season.

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