Labor Day is opening day for the University of Maine field hockey team, making its 1992 debut at 5 p.m. Monday at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

This year, Maine Coach Terry Kix and her Black Bears are taking a new approach to North Atlantic Conference competition by getting in tough turf games early in hopes of strengthening their game enough to make the NAC tournament.

Maine finished 9-7-1 in ’91; last in the NAC with only a win and a tie in conference play. After operating on turf at BC Monday, Maine travels to Virginia for at turf weekend Sept. 12-13 with Ohio State and host James Madison, which finished No. 11 in the nation in ’91.

Last year’s nonconference games weren’t that strong, Kix said.

We need to get in some of our stiffest competition early. We also have Providence Sept. 27 at Cape Elizabeth, which should be a really good test to set us up for Northeastern, BU, and UNH. All those teams will be ranked in the Top 20.” Kix is happy to open with three turf games because while she thinks Maine can play with anybody on grass, a turf team on turf (like Northeastern or BU) is a different story. To prepare for turf,Maine has been practicing inside.

Kix said Maine needs to beat two of four NAC rivals to gain a tournament spot. She believes the Black Bears are capable of beating Drexel, UNH, Vermont and Delaware.

But conference coaches don’t think Maine can qualify for the tournament, and picked the Black Bears to finish fifth behind defending champion BU, Northeastern, UNH and Delaware. Drexel and Vermont complete the 1992 preseason NAC coaches poll.

Double sessions for the Bears ended with the first day of classes on Tuesday. Of 18 chosen for the travel team, eight are freshmen. Of the 10 veterans, six will start.

Returning are : Gardiner senior center-midfielder/forward Lesa Densmore; East Corinth senior center back Dawn Strout; Old Town senior back Gretchen Lahey; Rockland sophomore left back Tammy Barrows; South Paris sophomore left midfielder Michelle Gallan; and Berlin, N.J., sophomore goalkeeper Mary Lou Winstel.

Strout and Densmore, an explosive scorer who can drop back to midfield against a tough opponent, were selected team co-captains. Winstel was the 1991 NAC Rookie of the Year.

Kix said Maine’s strength is the defense, with the entire unit returning.

Another possible starter is Oakland senior Carrie Goodhue, most recently of Maine basketball fame, who is using a fifth year of eligibility to refine her high school all-state status in this sport. Kix believes Goodhue will be a strong leader and competitor on the field.

The impact freshmen are recruits Jodi Castonguay, Augusta; Wendy Dubois, Franklin, N.H., and Margaret Henrick, also of Oakland. Castonguay will most likely be on the right wing; Dubois at right mid; and Henrick the sweeper.

Kix said all three are very mature with the ball and have had good summer experience with the United States Field Hockey Association Futures Program.

She is proud of the fact this trio was among the top 60 high school players in the country invited to compete in the USFHA program at BU the last week of June.

Freshmen who will provide strong support off the bench include Michelle Landry, Saco; Dori Flewelling, Oakland; Jennifer Vautour, Augusta; and Amy Morrell, Belgrade. Landry and Flewelling will fill in at forward and Vautour and Morrell on defense. Marty Kane of Sanford is the backup goalkeeper.

Kix and her team are hoping for a good turnout for their NAC home game with Drexel on Sunday, Oct. 4, which has been designated High School Day.

THE SCHEDULE

Sept 7…………………at Boston College, 5 p.m. Sept 12……at James Madison vs. Ohio State, 1 p.m. Sept 13………………….at James Madison, noon Sept 19………………………at Hofstra, 1 p.m. Sept 20………………………C.W. Post, 11 a.m. Sept 26………………………..Colgate, 11 a.m. Oct. 2………………………Delaware, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 4………………………….Drexel, 11 a.m. Oct. 10……………………………..BU, 1 p.m. Oct. 11……………………………..Yale, noon Oct. 16………………….at Northeastern, 3 p.m. Oct. 18………………………….at UNH, 1 p.m. Oct. 23……………………at Vermont, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25……………………….at Lowell, 2 p.m. Oct. 31……………………at Fairfield, 11 a.m. Nov. 1………………………at Rutgers, 11 a.m. Nov. 7-8………………….NAC Championships, TBA