The seeds and matchups for the 2016 America East Field Hockey Championship are set as eight of the conference's programs prepare for next week's tournament, the conference's first in any sport that will take place in California. The University of the Pacific will serve as the site for this year's championship, which takes place Nov. 3-6.
Reigning conference champion Albany, the 19th-ranked team in the nation, is the top seed from the east after winning its division with a 7-1 record. For the second-straight year, Stanford and Pacific shared the West Division crown with identical 5-1 marks. The Cardinal, the 17th-ranked team in the country, earned the No. 1 seed due to a better goal differential (maximum of four per game) in divisional contests.
Stanford is the top seed from the west for the second-consecutive year and enters the tournament having won five in a row, including a win at #10 Northwestern Saturday. Pacific, which has won a program-record 14 games this season, is the west #2 seed for the second-straight year while California is #3 and UC Davis is #4. The Bears edged the Aggies out for the No. 3 seed due to a better goal differential in divisional games.
Maine, the East's #2 seed for the second-straight year, rides a four-game win streak into the tournament and looks to return to its second-straight conference title game. New Hampshire, winners of four of its last five games, will be the East's #3 seed for the second-straight year while UMass Lowell will make its first-ever tournament appearance as the East's #4 seed.
The championship kicks off Thursday with cross-divisional quarterfinal action, which will be split over two days. Stanford will face UMass Lowell in the first quarterfinal Thursday at 12 p.m. PT followed by Albany vs. UC Davis at 2:30 p.m. PT. On Friday, Maine takes on California at 12 p.m. PT and Pacific faces New Hampshire at 2:30 p.m. The Stanford-UMass Lowell winner will square off with the Maine-California winner in the first semifinal on Saturday at 12 p.m. PT while the Albany-UC Davis winner will battle the Pacific-New Hampshire winner in the second semifinal Saturday at 2:30 p.m. PT. Saturday’s winners will square off the 2016 America East title on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.
The entire championship will be streamed for free at AmericaEast.TV and be available on computers, tablets and smartphones.
Visit Championship Central throughout the championship for live coverage links and postgame recaps and reaction.
2016 America East Field Hockey Championship
At University of the Pacific; Stockton, Calif.
All Times Pacific
Quarterfinals - Thursday, Nov. 3
Game 1 – #W1 Stanford vs. #E4 UMass Lowell, 12 p.m.
Game 2 – #E1 Albany vs. #W4 UC Davis, 2:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals – Friday, Nov. 4
Game 3 – #E2 Maine vs. #W3 California, 12 p.m.
Game 4 – #W2 Pacific vs. #E3 New Hampshire, 2:30 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday, Nov. 5
Game 5 – Game #1 Winner vs. Game #3 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 6 – Game #2 Winner vs. Game #4 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Final – Sunday, Nov. 6
Game 7 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 1 p.m.