CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 2022 Queens University of Charlotte field hockey season is less than a month from kicking off and Queens Head Field Hockey Coach Brandi Kist couldn't be more eager to debut the Royals' first official Division I schedule.  
 
"This is a very exciting time to be a Royal," Kist stated. "We are looking forward to playing our first DI season with a great lineup of opponents. Opening up with some familiar programs we have played in scrimmages and in spring competitions, Longwood and Davidson, will be good tests to start with. We will also face a challenging Liberty squad that was the national runner-up last season. This team is ready to embrace this transition and looking forward to the growth that will come along with it."
 
The 2022 schedule features 17 games, two being scrimmages with former conference opponents Coker and Belmont Abbey. Additionally, 12 of the Royals' regular season games will be on the road.
 
Queens will start the year with two of its three home games, kicking things off on Aug. 26 when they host Longwood University at Bessant Field. The season opener is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
 
The Royals will follow that game by welcoming Davidson to their home field on Sept. 2 for a Friday night match slated to begin at 7 p.m. Following the game with the Wildcats, the Royals will hit the road to face Georgetown on Sept. 4 to begin their 12-game road stint.
 
Queens will make stops in Richmond and Lynchburg to face VCU and Liberty the next weekend on Sept. 9 and 11. The game with the Flames will be a true test as Liberty is coming off of a 20-3 season in 2021 where they were Big East Champions and went on to get edged in the national championship game.
 
From there, the Royals will close the month of September with a pair of Sunday games at Ohio University and American on the 18^th and 25^th. American ranked No. 15 last season heading into the NCAA Championship tournament.
 
Queens will open the month of October at Bellarmine on the 2^nd before heading to Missouri the following weekend to face Lindenwood and Saint Louis on the 9^th and 10^th. The next two weekends of the month will see the Royals travel to face a very talented Old Dominion squad that ranked top 20 last season on Oct. 16, and App State on Oct. 23. They will then wrap their road schedule in North Easton, Mass., taking on Bryant and Stonehill on the 29^th and 30^th.
 
The Royals are scheduled to close their regular season facing a very familiar opponent in Limestone at Bessant Field on Nov. 5. The game with the Saints will also serve as Senior Day for the Royals.
 
Queens will be competing as an independent at the DI level for the 2022 season after the Royals' joined the ASUN Conference, which does not sponsor field hockey, in May. However, this will not be the first time the Royals have treaded water in this territory as they were independent at the DII level prior to the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas teaming up to sponsor the sport for the first time in 2018.
 
The Royals are coming off of a 2021 campaign where they finished 7-12 after falling in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Four members of the team earned all-conference honors.
 
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