KICKING THINGS OFF: The Chargers travel to the Carolinas for a pair of road contests to the start the 2014 campaign, beginning with a Thursday match against No. 19 Belmont Abbey prior to playing Newberry on Saturday. UAH will be looking to build off of a campaign that saw the team record points in 10 contests while reaching the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Championships for a second straight season, and head coach Jimmy Mitchell – in his third season in Huntsville – will look to his nine returning starters from a year ago to lead the way.
 
HOMECOMING: Thursday's contest at Belmont Abbey marks the return of Mitchell to the place where he began his career as a head coach. From 1995-98, Mitchell guided the team to 50 wins including a 20-win season in his final year with the program, and that year saw Belmont Abbey win the Carolinas Virginia Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships while earning a berth in the NCAA tournament. Mitchell was named the CVAC Coach of the Year twice for his efforts.
 
WELCOME BACK: After missing all of last year due to an injury, the Blue and White will welcome the return of senior forward Khadijah Jannah this season. Jannah – a preseason all-GSC selection – is a strong scoring threat, posting 23 goals during her career including nine game-winners. Her best season came during her junior year when she scored 10 times and added three assists for 23 points.
 
NEW FACE IN GOAL: The Chargers greatly relied on goalkeeper Iris Gunnarsdottir during the past three seasons, but with her departure following her senior year last season, Mitchell will have to count on a new goalie in 2014. UAH has three options in sophomore Hannah Allen, redshirt freshman Emily Rhodes, and true freshman Larae Breaux.
 
ABOUT BELMONT ABBEY: The Crusaders enter the season as the 19th ranked team in the preseason NSCAA poll, and the squad returns 11 of its top 12 goal scorers from a season ago along with senior keeper Hannah Kohls who conceded just 12 scores in 2013. Belmont Abbey was 15-4-4 last season, reaching the quarterfinals of the national tournament for the first time in school history.
 
ABOUT NEWBERRY: Coming off of a 9-9 season are the Wolves who were picked to finish eighth in the South Atlantic Conference this year. Newberry featured three preseason all-SAC honorees including the team's leading scorer from last year in Gabrielle Brodie who had 13 points, and this year's team will also include nine newcomers.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Both contests will be the first for UAH against the opposition.