Posted: Aug 25, 2021

Third place for Seahawks say coaches

Eliza Timms and the Seahawks have been picked to finish third according to the preseason coaches poll.

BIDDEFORD, Maine – When the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) field hockey teams take the field for the 2021 season, they will once again be chasing Endicott as the Gulls were selected as the favorites in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Endicott earned 48 points and six first place votes in the poll that was conducted by the league's seven head coaches last week.

UNE ranked second in this year's poll and will be looking to make its eighth-straight appearance in the CCC Championship match.

Sitting in the No. 3 spot in this year's voting was Salve Regina with 33 points, while in-state rival Roger Williams placed fourth with 28.

Western New England (21 points), Gordon (12), and Nichols (11) closed out the poll in that order.

The 2021 season marks the 30th year for Salve Regina field hockey (established 1992). Jennifer Foster has been at the helm for half of those seasons as she enters her 15th year as head coach.

Senior Eliza Timms (Agawam, Mass.) returns to bolster the offense (23 goals, 11 assists, 57 points in 2019) as she ranked second in the league in all three categories two years ago behind only teammate, Ashley Cody '20.

On defense, Foster relies on veteran Kristen Wales (Southport, Conn.) in her third season shielding the Seahawks on Gaudet Field. Both Timms and Wales were Second Team All-CCC selections as sophomores in 2019.

"We will be leaning on the experience and leadership of our eight seniors this season," Foster said. "We have a large returning group, although we missed competition last year, the practices really developed our skills, and we are excited to combine them with our new players and get back on the game field."

Foster will have 11 players getting their first collegiate game experience (seven sophomores, four freshman) and expects a competitive battle for goalkeeper duties.

The CCC field hockey season begins Wednesday, Sept. 1 with all seven teams starting their non-conference slates. Conference play begins on Saturday, Sept. 18 and will feature a new format with teams playing a single round-robin as opposed to the double round-robin schedule of the past. The top five teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season earn spots in the 2021 CCC Championship Tournament. The tournament begins on Tuesday, Nov. 2 with a quarterfinal matchup between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The tournament will continue on Thursday, Nov. 4 with the semifinal round and conclude with the CCC Championship on Saturday, Nov. 6. The winner of the CCC Championship match will be name the CCC Tournament Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into 2021 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.