Seahawks picked to finish fourth in pre-season poll
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Salve Regina University has been voted to finish fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) after a field hockey coaches' pre-season poll. The University of New England was voted as the favorite to win the 2014 championship after receiving three first-place votes and a total of 45 points in the CCC pre-season poll.
2014 Commonwealth Coast Conference Field Hockey Pre-season Coaches' Poll | ||
RK | TEAM | PTS |
1 | U. of New England | 45 (3) |
2 | Gordon | 43 (3) |
3 | Endicott | 37 |
T4 | Salve Regina | 24 |
T4 | Nichols | 24 |
6 | Western New Eng. | 14 |
7 | Roger Williams | 9 |
Gordon College, the 2013 champion, placed second after earning three first-place votes and a total of 43 points. Endicott College earned the remaining first place vote with 37 points to claim third, while Nichols College and Salve Regina University tied for fourth after receiving 24 points each to round out the top billing.
Salve Regina (8-10, 6-6 CCC) returns head coach Jennifer Foster to the sidelines for her eighth season (maternity leave in 2013). The Seahawks raced out to a 5-1 start in CCC play a year ago before finishing .500 in the league. Salve Regina also returns four of its top five scorers from 2013 including Julia Grover (Cotuit, Mass.; 8G, 6A), Alexisse Clinger (Nantucket, Mass.; 8G, 5A), Abigail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.; 9G, 1A), and Alexandria Rizzo (Hopedale, Mass.; 7G). Courtney McMorrow (Montclair, N.J.) topped all first-year players with three goals in 2013. Erin Demers (Concord, N.H.) and Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) are co-captains with a defensive mindset. McCann ranked fourth in the league last year with a 2.71 goals against average.
Salve Regina opens its season on August 29 on the road against Johnson & Wales.