Connecticut Maintains Top Spot in Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll
GILBERT, Ariz. – A victory over the defending national champion on Sunday has solidified Connecticut's hold on the No. 1 ranking in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I Coaches Poll announced on Tuesday.
The Huskies defeated then-No. 5 Delaware 1-0 in overtime on Sunday to push their record on the season to 9-0, remaining the last unbeaten team in the nation. UConn accumulated 1,146 points and 44 first-place votes to come in at No. 1 this week.
In Sunday’s match against the Blue Hens, UConn’s senior forward Charlotte Veitner broke the scoreless tie in overtime when she found the back of the cage to secure the road victory, the Huskies’ sixth win over a top-20 opponent. On the season Veitner ranks third in the nation with both 13 goals and 31 points, and has been named National Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks. On Monday, the senior was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the third straight week.
Defensively, UConn is led by senior back Casey Umstead, who has garnered BIG EAST recognition in five consecutive weeks. In last week’s pair of contests, UConn outshot its opponents 40-10, and through the opening nine games have outscored its opposition 39-6, while outshooting them 184-49. Entering Sunday’s match, then-No. 5 Delaware’s prolific offense had averaged 3.88 goals per game and 17.6 shots per game. However, the Huskies tamed the Blue Hens by limiting them to only seven shots, zero in the overtime period, while picking up their fourth shutout of the season.
For a full listing of the top-25 teams and release, click here: http://bit.ly/2hvtNQ3