Field Hockey Ranked No. 4 in
STX/NFHCA Preseason Poll
Huskies one of three BIG EAST teams in preseason top-20
STORRS, Conn. (August 26, 2008) - The University
of
Connecticut earned one first-place vote and
tallied 541 points in the preseason poll. The Huskies were picked earlier this
month by the BIG EAST coaches to win the 2008 league title. UConn finished last
season with a record of 22-3 and advanced to the national semifinals before
losing to eventual national champion North Carolina 4-2.
Returning to the Huskies’ lineup is senior Jennifer Kleinhans, the 2008 BIG EAST
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Kleinhans, who also was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2007
and 2006, looks to lead UConn back to the NCAA Championship for the seventh year
in a row.
The other
BIG EAST teams in the poll include Louisville, which comes in at No. 17 and
Syracuse rounds out the group at No. 18. Providence and Villanova also received
votes.
No. 17 Louisville captured a
piece of the regular season championship last season with Connecticut. UofL
ended the 2007 campaign with a 14-6 record and was ranked No. 13 nationally. The
Cardinals were recently selected to finish third in the BIG EAST preseason poll.
This season, Louisville will welcome back senior Lauren Schaefer and sophomore
Nicole Youman, who were both unanimous selections to the All-BIG EAST Preseason
Team.
No. 18 Syracuse ended the
2007 season with a 12-7 record after losing to Connecticut in the semifinals of
the BIG EAST Championship. The Orange will welcome back sophomore Maggie Befort,
who was named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team, and head coach Ange Bradley,
who was named the 2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year. Syracuse was recently picked
to place second in the BIG EAST preseason poll and received one first-place
vote.
Providence was selected to
place fourth in the BIG EAST preseason poll. The Friars will feature three
players who were named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team. Seniors Rachel
Chamberlain, Jessica Lane, and Nellie Poulin will look to improve last season’s
record of 14-8.
Villanova was selected to
place fifth in the BIG EAST preseason poll. The Wildcats ended the 2007 season
with a record of 11-7. Head coach Joanie Milhous will welcome back 13
letterwinners, including four starters.
The 2008 field hockey season
begins on Aug. 29 with Rutgers playing host to Indiana. BIG EAST play will start
on Sept. 19 with Louisville traveling to Syracuse, Providence visiting
Connecticut and Rutgers hosting Villanova. Georgetown will open conference play
on Sept. 26 when it hosts Rutgers.
The BIG EAST field hockey
Championship will take place on Nov. 8 and 9. The University of Connecticut will
host the four-team event. The champion will receive the league’s automatic berth
in the 16-team NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.
The University of Connecticut field hockey team opens the preseason on
Wednesday, August 27 against Durham University in a 4:00 p.m. (ET) start at the
George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.
2008
STX/NFHCA Division I Preseason Poll
(first
place votes in parentheses)
Institution Points
1. North
Carolina (29) 687
2.
Maryland (4) 633
3. Wake
Forest 582
4. Connecticut (1) 541
5. Iowa
(1) 463
6. Penn
State 451
7. James
Madison 441
8. Old
Dominion 407
9.
Michigan 389
10.
Michigan State 375
11.
Virginia 360
12. Duke
353
13. Boston
College 216
14. Boston
University 201
15.
American 191
16.
Princeton 190
17. Louisville 181
18. Syracuse 172
19. Albany
88
20. Ohio
75
Also
Receiving Votes:
Massachusetts (68), University of California, Berkeley (67),
Providence (60), Indiana (27), Ohio
State (26), Stanford (23), Delaware (19), Northeastern (18), Hofstra (15),
Temple (13), Kent State (9), Villanova (7),
William & Mary (2).
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