WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons College received seven of a possible seven first-place votes and 49 points overall to take first place in the 2016 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's head coaches.
Simmons has captured both GNAC Championships in the sport of field hockey since the conference began sponsoring it in 2014-15, besting Saint Joseph's College of Maine in last year's final, 1-0, before falling to New Paltz State in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Joseph's placed second in the preseason poll with 39 points.
Under the watch of Head Coach Rupert Lewis, who is about to begin his 12th season on the SJC sideline, guided the Monks to a 13-7 overall record with a 5-1 mark in GNAC play last fall. St. Joe's defeated Anna Maria College, 3-1, in a GNAC Tournament semifinal on November 4th but suffered a 1-0 GNAC Championship defeat at the hands of reigning conference champ Simmons College three days later.
The Monks lost several key contributors from last year's squad, including All-Conference defender Meghan Williams '16, but return a bevy of talent this fall, a group headlined by senior midfielder Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine), a two-time All-GNAC honoree who led the team in goals (11) in 2015.
Sophomore keeper Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine), who ranked second in the GNAC with a 1.04 goals against average and earned Second Team All-Conference honors returns along with 2015 starters Bailey Cutler (Lisbon Falls, Maine), Elyse Caiazzo (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus), Hayley Winslow (Falmouth, Maine), and Arianna Kahler (Lisbon Falls, Maine).
Saint Joseph's opens the 2016 season on Saturday, September 3rd when the team hosts Wellesley College in a 1:00 PM start at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
Johnson & Wales University took the third spot with 32 points, narrowly ahead of Lasell College's 29 points and Anna Maria College's 27 points, while Mount Ida College and Rivier University made up the remainder of the poll with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The 2016 campaign gets underway this Thursday, as Mount Ida, Lasell, Anna Maria and defending GNAC champion Simmons will all be in action. The GNAC Tournament will begin with first-round action on Saturday, October 29, with the championship contest scheduled for the following weekend on Saturday, November 5.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2016 GNAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll
1. Simmons (7) – 49
2. Saint Joseph's of Maine – 39
3. Johnson & Wales – 32
4. Lasell – 29
5. Anna Maria - 27
6. Mount Ida – 11
7. Rivier - 10
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
