LEC Pre-Season Field Hockey Poll Announced
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – The Fitchburg State field hockey team was recently ranked fifth in the Little East Conference Pre-Season Coaches Poll as voted upon by the league coaches.
Falcons collect 68 points to place fifth overall
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – The Fitchburg State field hockey team was recently ranked fifth in the Little East Conference Pre-Season Coaches Poll as voted upon by the league coaches.
Four-time defending LEC Champions Keene State has been picked to hoist the league trophy as the Little East Conference announced the 2017 Field Hockey Preseason Poll on Wednesday. Under the guidance of 28th-year head coach Amy Watson, the Owls received five of 12 possible first-place votes to top the poll with 110 total points.
As voted upon by the LEC's 12 head coaches, Worcester State garnered the second spot in the results, receiving six first place nods to total 108 points. Third place was earned by Plymouth State, which notched one first place vote for a total of 101 points.
The fourth and fifth slots in the preseason poll went to Bridgewater State (81 points) and Fitchburg State (68 points), respectively.
Rounding out the poll results were Southern Maine (65), Eastern Connecticut State (62), Westfield State (62), UMass Dartmouth (56), Western Connecticut State (45), Salem State (18) and Framingham State (16).
Conference play in Little East field hockey will consist of each team meeting each other once during the regular season, with the first interleague contests scheduled for Sept. 6th. The top eight teams in the final regular season conference standings will participate in the 2017 Little East Field Hockey Championship, with the tournament winner earning the league's automatic berth to the 2017 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship. The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 28th, with the championship match slated for Nov. 4th.
Formed in 1986, the Little East serves as New England's premier athletic conference for public institutions in NCAA Division III. Featuring 19 championship sports, the Little East sponsors quality competition in every season for our student athletes. Our eight state colleges and universities dedicate themselves to an ongoing fulfillment of the Division III mission of passion, responsibility, sportsmanship, and citizenship.
The Fitchburg State University field hockey team will open its 2017 campaign on Friday, September 1st as it hosts the Raiders of Rivier University at 3 p.m.
PORTIONS OF RELEASE COURTESY OF THE LEC SID OFFICE
Little East Conference
2017 Field Hockey Preseason Poll
|
Institution |
First Place Votes |
Total Points |
|
1. Keene State |
5 |
110 |
|
2. Worcester State |
6 |
108 |
|
3. Plymouth State |
1 |
101 |
|
4. Bridgewater State |
|
81 |
|
5. Fitchburg State |
68 |
|
|
6. Southern Maine |
|
65 |
|
7. Eastern Connecticut |
|
62 |
|
Westfield State |
|
62 |
|
9. UMass Dartmouth |
|
56 |
|
10. Western Connecticut |
|
45 |
|
11. Salem State |
|
18 |
|
12. Framingham State |
|
16 |