Worcester State Picked Seventh in LEC Preseason Poll

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – The Worcester State University field hockey team has been picked to finish seventh out of the 12 teams in the Little East Conference (LEC) as voted on by coaches in the conference.

The three-time defending LEC Champions Keene State Owls field hockey team has been selected as the 2016 preseason favorites as voted on by the 12 coaches for the third consecutive season. The Owls received eight first place votes and 128 total points.

The Owls enter the 2016 campaign with 12 returning student-athletes and seven starters, including Offensive Player of the Year Sami Smith. The Owls have made five straight appearances in the LEC Championship game, winning four of them.

The Plymouth State Panthers finished second with 121 points and received one first place vote. The Panthers finished the 2015 season with a 13-7 (9-2 LEC) record, tied at the top of the LEC standings with the Keene State and UMass Dartmouth.

The UMass Dartmouth Corsairs placed third in the 2016 preseason poll with 108 points and two first place votes. Like the Panthers, the Corsairs finished the 2015 regular season as Co-Champions but fell 2-1 in overtime in the LEC Quarterfinal round to Worcester State.

Another team that has an opportunity to claim the regular season championship is the Warriors from Eastern Connecticut State after placing fourth in the preseason poll with 99 points. The Warriors are returning 17 players, including eight starters, finished last season with a 13-7 (8-3 LEC) record.

Westfield State placed fifth in the 2016 preseason poll with 83 points. The Owls finished 2015 with an 8-10 (6-5 LEC) record. Bridgewater State came in next with 77 points, while the Lancers landed at seventh with 74 points.

Worcester State finished its 2015 campaign with a 10-9 overall record, and a 5-6 conference record. The Lancers closed out last year's season with a stunning overtime victory in the LEC quarterfinals to knock out UMass Dartmouth, as Worcester's Meghan Pini scored the winning goal. The Lancers return 12 players including co-captains Alli Baker and Pini, along with second-team All-Conference player, Hayley Sutherland.

Wrapping up the polls was Western Connecticut State (63 points), Southern Maine (59 points), Fitchburg State (57 points) and Framingham State (28 points) and Salem State (23 points).

Conference play will consist of each team meeting each other once during the regular season, with interleague play scheduled to begin on September 7. The top-eight teams in the final regular season conference standings will participate in the 2016 LEC Field Hockey Championship. The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 29, with the championship match scheduled for November 5.

Portions of the Release Courtesy of Adam Sopris | LEC Assistant Commissioner