NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference has announced the addition of two new affiliate members in the sport of field hockey, Liberty University and Quinnipiac University, for the 2016 season. The Flames and Bobcats will be eligible for the conference championship immediately.
The new conference field hockey alignment for the BIG EAST will consist of eight teams: Connecticut, Georgetown, Liberty, Old Dominion, Providence, Quinnipiac, Temple and Villanova.
“We’re very pleased to be able to add Liberty and Quinnipiac to our field hockey lineup for 2016,” said BIG EAST Associate Commissioner for Olympic Sports Chris Schneider. “These additions will be make BIG EAST field hockey stronger. Both schools have proven records of success and are committed to excellence in the sport.”
Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, Va., has risen to national prominence quickly under the leadership of coach Jodi Murphy. The program did not start until 2011.
Liberty won the NorPac Championship in 2013 and 2014, advancing to the NCAA Field Hockey Championship both seasons. Liberty competed as an independent during the 2015 season, posting a 12-6 record and finishing the year ranked No. 14 in the final NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll. Liberty posted a 3-0 record against the current members of the BIG EAST in 2015, recording wins over No. 15 Old Dominion (2-1), Providence (4-3/OT) and Temple (3-2/2 OT). The Lady Flames spent 10 weeks during the 2015 season ranked among the top 20 programs in the country and were ranked as high as No. 8., the highest ranking in program history.
Quinnipiac, located in Hamden, Conn., will enter its 19
th season of NCAA Division I competition in 2016. Quinnipiac first entered the Division I ranks in 1998 in the Northeast Conference before joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2013. Head coach Becca Main’s Bobcats were the first program to win the newly-formed MAAC Field Hockey Tournament Championship in 2013 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
This past season, Quinnipiac won its second regular-season championship in its three years as members of the MAAC. For her efforts, Quinnipiac Main was named the MAAC Coach of the Year.
The BIG EAST has enjoyed tremendous field hockey success. This past season, Connecticut, the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion, reached the NCAA national semifinals. The Huskies were the NCAA champions in 2013 and 2014.
At least two BIG EAST teams have been ranked in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll for all but one week over the last two seasons. BIG EAST field hockey has produced 20 Longstreth/NFHCA All-Americans over the last three years.