Aug. 21, 2007
NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion field hockey team placed sixth in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Preseason Poll released on Tuesday.
Defending two-time champion Maryland, who the Lady Monarchs take on on Friday, August 31 at home and Friday, October 12th in College Park topped the list.
In all, Old Dominion will take on eight teams featured in the poll's top 20, including four of the top five featured and six of the list's top 10.
In addition to the Terps, the Lady Monarchs will take on No. 3 North Carolina, in Chapel Hill on Friday, September 14th and at home on Saturday, October 27th in the annual scholarship game. Old Dominion will also have a home-and-home series with No. 4 Duke, visiting the Blue Devils on Sunday, September 16th and a return date at Foreman Field on Satuday, October 14th. Rounding out top five competition is No. 5 Connecticut, who the Lady Monarchs will take on in neutral site competition at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 8th.
Old Dominion will not have to wait very long to meet its first ranked opponent as the Lady Monarchs host Penn State this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Lady Lions enter the contest right behind Old Dominion in the polls at No. 7.
Virginia, coming in at No. 8 in the poll, rounds out the Lady Monarch competition in the top ten. The Cavaliers will come to Norfolk on Sunday, September 2nd.
Other opponents featured in the Top 20 include 2006 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champion James Madison at No. 11 and Michigan at No. 12. The Lady Monarchs will look to avenge its CAA finale loss to the Dukes when they travel to Harrisonburg on Saturday, October 20th. Old Dominion will also be on the road when they take on the Wolverines on Friday, September 7th.
Five other opponents are also receiving votes in the preseason poll, four of them members of the CAA. Northeastern, William & Mary, Hofstra, and Delaware all received votes as did Miami (Ohio).
The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, September 4, 2007. The STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll has no bearing onselection to the 2007 NCAA Division I Championship field.
STX/NFHCA Coaches Poll - Preseason in PDF Format
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STX/NFHCA COACHES POLL - Preseason
Institution Points (first place votes in parentheses)
1. University of Maryland 673 (18)
2. Wake Forest University 623 (1)
3. University of North Carolina 573 (14)
4. Duke University 554
5. University of Connecticut 551
6. Old Dominion University 543
7. Penn State University 487 (1)
8. University of Virginia 398 (1)
9. Boston College 317
10. University of Iowa 302
11. James Madison University 284
12. University of Michigan 281
13. Ohio State University 271
14. University of Louisville 235
15. Indiana University 183
16. American University 173
17. Providence College 146
18. Princeton University 119
19. Michigan State University 110
20. Boston University 109
Also Receiving Votes: University of California, Berkeley (95), Northeastern University (49), University of Richmond (44),College of William & Mary (33), Syracuse University (32), Stanford University (29), Hofstra University (28),Ohio University (25), University at Albany (21), Villanova University (10), University of Delaware (9),Rutgers University (9), West Chester University (7), Northwestern University (5), Dartmouth College (4),Kent State University (4), Bucknell University (3), Miami University (OH) (3), University of Pennsylvania (3),Cornell University (2), College of the Holy Cross (1), Lock Haven University (1), University of Massachusetts (1).