Western picked to finish in seventh place in 2011 Little East Conference
Field Hockey Pre-Season Coaches' Poll

official release from Jack Holleran - Director of Communications

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA (Aug. 25) —For the second-straight season, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been chosen as the favorite to claim the Little East field hockey regular-season title, according to a vote by the league coaches. The two-time defending conference tournament champions earned nine of the 12 first-place votes and a total of 140 points to sit atop the preseason standings.

Keene State College and Plymouth State University were the only two other institutions to break the 100-point barrier with the Owls edging the Panthers by just four points (129-125). Keene State received one first-place tally, while Plymouth State earned the remaining two votes.

The following three teams in the preseason survey are separated by just four points with University of Southern Maine (87) out pointing Fitchburg State University (86) and Bridgewater State University (84). The top-four teams in the final regular-season standings earn home field advantage in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 Little East Field Hockey Championship Tournament.

Under the direction of Nicole Castonguay, the Corsairs captured the program’s second consecutive conference tournament championship in 2010. UMass Dartmouth posted an overall record of 15-8 to reach the 10-win plateau for the fifth time in the past six years. The Corsairs set a new program standard for Little East victories with a 10-1 mark to earn UMass Dartmouth’s first outright conference regular-season title. Castonguay and her charges continued their winning ways in the Little East Tournament with a 3-0 mark, including a 3-1 win against Bridgewater State. The victory over the Bears marked the second-straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearance for the Corsairs.

UMass Dartmouth will welcome back six starters and 16 letter winners from its 2010 national tournament team. The 2011 roster will feature a pair of All-Little East selections, including first-team pick Eleanor Taylor (Fairhaven, Mass.). The 2011 Little East Offensive Player of the Year led the conference circuit in goals (24), while ranking second in game-winning goals (5) and points (53). Taylor and the Corsairs will open their 2011 schedule at 11 a.m. on Sept. 3, when UMass Dartmouth hosts MIT.

Under the watchful eye of Amy Watson, Keene State recorded the program’s 13th consecutive campaign with at least 14 victories in 2010—accomplishing the feat in each of its seasons as a member of the Little East Conference.  Furthermore, the Owls boasted at least 16 wins for the fifth consecutive season with a 2011 overall record of 16-6. Keene State posted its most significant victory of the season, when the Owls upset then-No. 11 Trinity College (Conn.) at the Owl Athletic Complex. Watson led her squad to a share of second place with an 8-3 mark in the conference, but earned the No.4 seed in the Little East Tournament Championship. Keene State was edged in the semifinal round 1-0 by the eventual champions to close its 2010 schedule.

In 2011, the Owls will welcome back a veteran squad that included seven starters and 16 letter winners from 2010. The senior tandem of forward Elizabeth Coffin (Sugar Hill, N.H.) and midfielder Aislynn Sherry (Rehoboth, Mass.) will provide the offensive spark for Keene State. The All-Little East duo combined for 64 points on 30 goals and four assists last fall. The Owls will make their first appearance of the 2011 campaign at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3, when Keene State visits Western New England.    

Head Coach Bonnie Lord guided the Panthers to the program’s second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship last fall and first since 2004. In 2010, Plymouth State registered an overall record of 14-7, marking the program’s second highest amount of single-season victories since 2005. The Panthers finished in a three-way tie for second in the conference standings with an 8-3 mark, but earned the No. 3 seed in the Little East Tournament. Plymouth State defeated Southern Maine 2-1 in the quarterfinals, but suffered a 2-1 overtime loss at Bridgewater State in the semifinals. The Panthers exacted their revenge against the Bears in the ECAC title contest with a 2-1 victory and the regional championship trophy.
Lord is expected to return 10 letter winners, including eight starters, back into the fold from the 2010 squad. Plymouth State will feature a potent offensive attack, as the Panthers welcome back five of their top-six scorers from a year ago. Junior striker Olivia Colborn (Lancaster, N.H.) paced Plymouth State in goals (16), game-winning goals (5), and points (34) during her junior campaign. Colborn and the Panthers will make their 2011 debut at 1 p.m. on Sept. 3, when Plymouth State travels to Endicott College.
  
The Little East Conference sponsors an 11-game conference schedule with each team playing each other once. The top-eight teams in the final regular-season standings advance to the 2011 Little East Field Hockey Championship. The tournament will feature three rounds with the highest seed in each contest earning home field advantage. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5 with the tournament champion receiving the conference’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Completing the annual preseason coaches’ survey in projected order of finish in the regular-season standings are Western Connecticut State University (63), Salem State University (54), Westfield State University (54), Framingham State University (47), Worcester State University (47), and Eastern Connecticut State University (20).

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference will begin its 14th season of sponsoring field hockey in 2011. The conference will begin its 26th season of sponsoring 19 intercollegiate athletic programs during the 2011-12 academic year.