America East in the Polls: University at Albany's Field Hockey Team Starts Conference Play Ranked Top-20 in the Nation

America East in the Polls: University at Albany's Field Hockey Team Starts Conference Play Ranked Top-20 in the Nation

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -University at Albany's field hockey team rose to #19 in the Kookaburra/NFHCA national poll after entering the rankings for the first time last week. The Great Danes have risen into the rankings with the support of a strong defense.

Nationally-ranked UAlbany (8-3 overall, 1-0 America East) currently leads the nation in penalty corners per game and lays claim to a national leader in goals against average, junior goalkeeper Christine Hoffman (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights). The Great Danes showed their strength on Saturday when they downed Fairfield (4-7, 0-1 AE), 7-1, in their conference opener. UAlbany then suffered a close loss to #6 Syracuse, 1-0, on Sunday. The Great Danes travel to Maine on Saturday for their second conference match.  Both Maine (9-3, 1-0 AE) and Boston U. (4-8, 1-0 AE) also received votes, garnering 24 and four votes, respectively. Boston U. dropped from 46 votes last week after the team split its two games over the weekend. The Terriers topped Vermont (1-11, 0-1 AE), 2-0, in its conference opener on Saturday before falling to #13 Duke, 5-1, on Sunday. Boston U. continues conference play on Saturday against Fairfield. Maine won both games last weekend defeating New Hampshire (5-5, 0-1 AE), 6-3, and Holy Cross, 5-1. The Black Bears host two games this weekend against conference rival UAlbany on Saturday and Brown on Sunday.

Boston U.'s men's soccer team (7-2-2, 1-0-0 America East) maintained its #16 national ranking in this week's NSCAA/adidas national poll and rose one spot to #3 in the Northeast regional rankings. The Terriers extended their unbeaten streak to five games with a 1-1 tie against then-#23 Brown and a 3-0 victory over Stony Brook (1-9-2, 0-1-0 AE) in their conference opener. The Terriers next play New Hampshire (3-5-1, 0-0-0) on Wednesday before traveling to Hartford (4-5-1, 1-0-0 AE) on Saturday. UMBC (9-1-0, 0-1-0 AE) dropped to #25 in the nation and tied for sixth in the regional rankings after suffering its first loss of the season. The Retrievers fell to Vermont, 3-1, (1-6-3, 1-0-0 AE) in their first conference game of the season. UMBC next competes against Stony Brook on Wednesday before playing New Hampshire on Saturday.

Boston U.'s women's soccer team (7-4-2, 3-0-0 America East) stayed at ninth in the Northeast regional rankings after extending its winning streak to five games with victories over conference rivals New Hampshire (2-9-1, 1-2-0 AE), 1-0, and Maine (4-4-2, 1-1-1 AE), 4-2. The two wins over conference foes extends the Terriers' unbeaten conference streak to 18 games. Boston U. next competes against Vermont (1-7-3, 1-0-2 AE) on Thursday.

Stony Brook's women's cross country topped the America East women in the Northeast regional rankings, earning the #4 spot for the second-straight week and garnered one vote in the USTFCCCA national rankings. The Seawolves had the weekend off but return to action on October 9 at the Metropolitan Championship. Boston U. (9th), Vermont (13th) and Maine (15th) also garnered spots in the regional poll. The Catamount women finished 17th in the gold race at the Paul Short Run on Friday. The team also had runners compete at the Vermont State meet where both squads ran to a second-place team finish. The Black Bear women claimed a second place finish this past weekend at the Murray Keatinge Invitational held on their home course. All three squads will next compete at the New England Championship in Boston.

Three America East men's cross country teams earned rankings in the USTFCCCA Northeast regional poll, including Binghamton (9th), Boston U. (14th) and New Hampshire (15th). Binghamton rose from 14th last week after an 11th-place finish at the Paul Short Invitational where the men's squad raced to a team-best finish and competed against then #7 Iona College. The Bearcat men next race at the Penn State National meet on October 6. Boston U. was off this past weekend but returns to action on October 10 at the New England Championship. The Wildcat men fought to a 27th-place finish on Friday at the Paul Short Run. New Hampshire will also compete in the New England Championships on Saturday.