DURHAM, N.H. -- The 2013 America East Field Hockey Championship, featuring four 11-win teams, begins on Friday with semifinal action. All games of the tournament will take place at UNH's Memorial Field for the fourth-straight year.The semifinal matchups are identical to 2012 as top-seeded New Hampshire, which captured its fourth-straight regular-season title, hosts fourth-seeded Fairfield at 2 p.m. in the first game, while second-seeded Albany takes on third-seeded Maine in the other semifinal at 5 p.m. The two winners will advance to Sunday's championship game, which will take place at 2 p.m. Admission is free and free live video will be available for all three games at AmericaEast.TV.UNH (13-6) comes in winner of six in a row and 11 of its last 13 games. The Wildcats, who are the regular-season champions, aim for its second America East crown in three years when it takes on Fairfield (11-5). UNH ran through their America East schedule with a 5-0 mark, including a 4-0 win over the Stags on Nov. 1, and have won all eight meetings against Fairfleld since it joined the league.The No. 4 seed has never beaten the No. 1 seed but Fairfield came close last year before falling to UNH, 3-2, in overtime. Two of league's top players will also square off as UNH's Megan Bozek, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, will face off with Fairfield's Felicitas Heinen, a first-team all-conference choice, who is tied for the league lead with 17 goals.Albany (15-4), which is seeded second or better for the seventh time in eight years, takes on Maine (11-8), which will try to reach its first title game since 2006 and come away with the program's first-ever title. The 16st-ranked Great Danes, who are seeking their second-straight America East crown and fourth in six years, beat Black Bears, 2-1, on Sept. 28 behind goals from Paula Heuser, the conference's Midfielder and Rookie of the Year, and Fiori Van Rijswijk.Visit America East Championship Central for complete coverage of the tournament, including live video, postgame highlights and more, follow the conference on Twitter (@AmericaEast) for in-game updates and use #AEChamps to join the conversation all weekend long.
2013 America East Field Hockey Championship
All games at University of New Hampshire's Memorial Field, Durham, N.H.
Semifinals - Thursday, November 7
#1 New Hampshire vs. #4 Fairfield, 2 p.m.
#2 Albany vs. #3 Maine, 5 p.m.
Final - Saturday, November 9
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.