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STANDISH — Of all the honors the Saint Joseph's College field hockey program has received while he has been the head coach, Rupert Lewis is most proud of this: In eight of his nine seasons, the team has received the highest academic honor possible from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

"Those certificates mean more to me than a championship or a plaque," he said. "Those kids are actually doing the work and we're getting them through school on time."

Having said that, it would be nice to get a championship too. And this year, the Monks are aiming high.

After years or competing in the North Atlantic Conference and coming close – losing, for instance, to Castleton State in last year's title game – St. Joe's is looking for its first NCAA Division III tournament appearance.

This year, the Monks are competing in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference – just like all the other St. Joe's teams. The league finally had enough schools sponsoring field hockey teams this year (seven) to form a league and qualify for an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Monks were picked as preseason favorites to win the championship.

"I don't judge the success of my program on the wins and the losses," said Lewis. "It's the growth of the players. That's one of the things I consistently preach when I'm coaching. As long as the players get better every year, I am having success. Ideally, you want to win that big game. But getting there is half the battle and I think we have the ability to do that this year."

The Monks lost only two players from last year's squad, which posted the highest winning percentage (.709) in program history. Expectations are high among the players.

"Definitely there's more excitement," said Effie Drew, a senior forward from Portland who led the Monks with 10 goals and 23 points last year. "I think it probably lights a fire under us.

"There's no pressure because it's a new conference and there's not any expectations just yet. But at the same time, being picked the favorite and everything that goes along with it … we're excited."

St. Joe's won its only game of the season thus far, 2-1 over Eastern Connecticut. Drew and Theresa Hendrix, a grad student from Scarborough (Cheverus), scored the goals.

Lewis likes much about this team, especially the leadership provided by upperclassmen Drew, Hendrix, defender Kaylee Heath (Pittston/Gardiner) and Emily Jordan (Whitefield/Erskine Academy).

"The first thing I sell is working as a team, we are strong as our weakest link," he said. "Our strength is that we all work together. There is no standout individual that is going to get the glory. It's a real team. And being such a young team, they are very impressionable, so we can get things done easily.

"The other piece to that is that I have some really good senior players who will help and groom the younger players. I'm very fortunate to have that group this year."

Sophomore goalie Emma Astbury, of Bridgewater, Vermont, is coming off a season in which she ranked eighth in the nation in goals-against average (0.98). Sophomore midfielder Kelsey Dumond of Lewiston had eight goals and an assist in her first collegiate season. Drew senses a renewed optimism with the Monks.

"Confidence definitely has a lot to do with it, individually and as a team," said Drew, who transferred to St. Joe's as a junior from St. Mary's in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "Last year we came in under the radar and sailed into the conference final. We're playing with more confidence this year.

"Individually, just getting more experience you become naturally more confident. And as a whole we just know we have a lot of potential."