UAlbany, Stanford Unanimously Chosen as #AEFH Divisional Favorites
BOSTON – Three America East field hockey teams finished 2018 with a winning percentage over .700, each of which were picked high in the 2019 preseason poll. The East Division grew by one this offseason with the addition of Monmouth, a program that has played in the NCAA Tournament three of the past five years.
Reigning champion UAlbany tops the East Division preseason poll, receiving five first-place votes. West Division regular season champ Stanford sits atop the West Division poll. Both programs were selected unanimously as favorites by the conference’s nine head coaches who only voted for teams within their own division and were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Here is the full poll:
2019 America East Field Hockey Preseason Poll
East Division
No. School Points (1st Place Votes)
1. UAlbany 25 (5)
2. Maine 21 (1)
3. Vermont 14
4. Monmouth 12
New Hampshire 12
6. UMass Lowell 6
West Division
No. School Points (1st Place Votes)
1. Stanford 4 (2)
2. California 3 (1)
3. UC Davis 2
Twenty-two student-athletes who earned All-Conference or All-Rookie honors last season return for their 2019 campaigns. The returning group is headlined by some of the nation's best student-athletes. America East Offensive Player of the Year Corinne Zanolli, Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Kelsey Bing and Rookie of the Year Molly Redgrove are all back for Stanford while Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Melissa Nealon will be in the cage again for UAlbany.
The first whistle will blow on Friday, Aug. 30 and non-conference action features 24 games against opponents who played in the NCAA Tournament last season. Conference play beings on Friday, Oct. 4 with intra-division matchups. Under the new six-team postseason format, the top four finishers in the East Division will qualify for the #AEFH Championship with the top-two receiving a bye. The top-two programs in the West Division will travel across the country for the tournament, which will be hosted by the East’s regular season champion on Nov. 7-10.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
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