NEW YORK – The defending national champion and BIG EAST regular-season and tournament champion Connecticut Huskies were tabbed by the BIG EAST field hockey coaches as the preseason favorite in the coaches’ poll released on Thursday by the conference office.
Two Liberty Flames and one Husky garnered the top preseason individual awards. Liberty sophomore defender Ashley Dykema was voted BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while Connecticut senior forward Amanda Collins and Liberty junior forward Agueda Moroni shared the honor of BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
The Huskies, who have won 25 straight league regular-season contests, received seven first-place votes for a total of 49 points in the poll. Liberty, the 2017 BIG EAST regular-season and tournament runner-up, grabbed the other first-place vote along with 43 total points. Old Dominion came in third with 35 points, just ahead of Providence with 33 points.
Quinnipiac was voted fifth, picking up 24 total points. Temple and Villanova came in at fifth and sixth, with the Owls grabbing 17 points, just two ahead of the Wildcats with 15. Georgetown rounds out the poll with eight points.
In addition to the poll, the release also includes the recognition of the preseason all-conference team. The 11-member squad includes three forwards, three midfielders, three defenders, a goalkeeper and an at-large selection, chosen by the league’s eight head coaches, who are not allowed to cast votes for their own players or team.
Along with Connecticut’s Collins being honored as Co-Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous preseason all-league selection, junior forward Svea Boker also earned accolades. Last season, Collins had four goals and seven assists for a total of 15 points in seven conference games. Overall, she scored 12 goals with 20 assists and 44 points in 23 games. Collins was also named a Second Team NFHCA All-American last season, as well as the 2016 and 2017 BIG EAST Tournament MVP. Boker posted two goals in four league games, adding five assists with nine points. She was named to the All-Mideast Region second team in 2017. The Huskies won the 2017 national title over Maryland by a score of 2-1, marking their fifth national title in program history. They also finished undefeated overall at 23-0. This is the first Connecticut team to accomplish this and only the sixth squad ever in Division I.
The Flames added a league-leading four members to the preseason all-conference squad. Dykema, a unanimous selection, helping the team secure three shutouts on the season with 43 goals against at a 2.24 average per game, which was third-best in the league. Moroni had nine goals with one assist and 19 points over seven conference games. She led the BIG EAST last season with 5.21 shots per game, and added the second most goals on the season with 19. Moroni was named to the NFHCA Division I All-America second team, as well as the All-BIG EAST first team. Sophomore midfielder Jill Bolton accumulated three goals and assists each, along with nine points against league teams. She was also named to the All-BIG EAST first team. Liberty junior goalkeeper Allison Schaefer boasted a 0.88 goals against average with three shutouts and 103 saves. She was voted to the All-BIG EAST second team. The Flames finished tied for second in conference play at 5-2 and 8-11 overall.
Old Dominion added a pair of players to the preseason all-conference team in junior defender Rebecca Birch and unanimous selection junior forward Erin Huffman. In seven league games, Birch scored three goals while assisting on two and eight points. Huffman, voted to the All-BIG EAST first team last season, had four goals with one assist and nine points. The Monarchs finished tied with Liberty in BIG EAST play at 5-2, while compiling an 8-10 overall record.
With an overall winning record of 11-8, Providence finished 4-3 against BIG EAST teams last season. Senior defender Corinne Kenney and unanimous pick, junior midfielder Mikayla Michals were the two Friars voted to the preseason all-conference team. Kenney helped Providence boast the second-best league goals against at 35 with an average of 1.84 and also added three shutouts. She was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. In seven games, Michals had seven points to go along with three goals and one assist. She was named to the U.S. Women’s National Development Team.
Quinnipiac’s lone preseason All-BIG EAST member, senior midfielder Elisa Ruiz Martinez, was voted to the all-conference second team last season. She tallied a goal and an assist to go along with three points in seven league games. The Bobcats finished tied for fifth at 3-4 with an overall record of 6-12.
To round out the preseason team standings are Temple, Villanova and Georgetown. The Owls (4-14 overall) will look to improve after losing a second team All-BIG EAST player in Rachael Mueller. Tied for fifth in conference play at 3-4, the Wildcats lost an all-league second teamer as well in Fresca Bello. Their overall record was 7-10. Christy Longacre will now lead the Hoyas as their new head coach after the team went 9-10 overall last season.
The 2018 field hockey season starts with all eight teams in action on Friday, Aug. 24.
2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Honors
Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Amanda Collins, Connecticut, Sr., F
Agueda Moroni, Liberty, Jr., F/M
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Ashley Dykema, Liberty, So., M/D
2018 Field Hockey Preseason All-BIG EAST
Svea Boker, Connecticut, Jr., F
^Amanda Collins, Connecticut, Sr., F
Jill Bolton, Liberty, So., M
^Ashley Dykema, Liberty, So., D/M
Agueda Moroni, Liberty, Jr., F/M
Allison Schaefer, Liberty, Jr., GK
Rebecca Birch, Old Dominion, Jr., B
^Erin Huffman, Old Dominion, Jr., F
Corrine Kenney, Providence, Sr., M/D
^Mikayla Michals, Providence, Jr., M/F
Elisa Ruiz Martinez, Quinnipiac, Sr., M
2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll
First place votes in ( )
| 1. UConn (7) |
49 pts. |
| 2. Liberty (1) |
43 |
| 3. ODU |
35 |
| 4. Providence |
33 |
| 5. Quinnipiac |
24 |
| 6. Temple |
17 |
| 7. Villanova |
15 |
| 8. Georgetown |
8 |
|
|
^ - denotes unanimous selection