STORRS, Conn. (August 5, 2004) — The University of Connecticut field hockey team, which has won or shared each of the last three BIG EAST Conference regular season titles, has been selected as the co-favorites to win the conference crown in 2004.

The preseason poll, released by the BIG EAST Conference office, is determined in a voting of the league’s head coaches.

Connecticut and Boston College each garnered 23 points overall and three first-place votes each. Villanova, Syracuse, Rutgers and Providence rounded out the preseason poll.

UConn senior Lauren Henderson (Avondale Harare, Zimbabwe) was selected as the Preseason BIG EAST Offensive of the Year. Henderson enters 2004 needing just 14 goals and 24 points to move past former Husky standout Tracy Fuchs as the program’s all-time leader in both categories.

Henderson was also a unanimous selection on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. She was joined by Connecticut teammates Becky Helwig (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Abby Ostruzka (Riverside, Conn.) and Laura Puddle (London, England).

Connecticut returns seven starters and 15 letterwinners from last season’s squad which claimed a share of the BIG EAST regular season title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2003 NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest.

The Huskies open the 2004 regular season on Saturday, Aug. 28 when they host Sacred Heart beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.