NEW YORK –  BIG EAST defending regular-season and tournament champion Connecticut was tabbed by the field hockey head coaches as the preseason favorite in the 2021 Preseason Coaches’ Poll released on Thursday by the league office. The Huskies edged Liberty by one point in the poll.
 
Liberty senior forward Jill Bolton shared Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors with Old Dominion sophomore forward Marlon de Bruijne. Bolton was also the preseason selection last spring.  Liberty keeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
UConn and Liberty split first-place votes among the league’s head coaches four and four. The Huskies were favored over the Lady Flames by one point, 46-45. Old Dominion, the BIG EAST Championship Runner-Up was picked third with 38 points, just ahead of Temple in fourth with 31 points.
 
Providence followed with 22 points, checking in at fifth in the poll. Villanova was next with 20 points and Quinnipiac (15 points) and Georgetown (7 points) rounded out the preseason rankings. Georgetown did not compete in field hockey last season.
 
Liberty’s Bolton was last season’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year pick as well. The senior forward scored 14 goals with 13 assists last season for 41 points. In league play, Bolton helped Liberty with nine goals and nine assists (27 points). The Souderton, Pa., native earned National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) All-America First Team accolades as well as All-BIG EAST First Team and NFCHA All-South Region First Team honors.
 
Old Dominion’s de Bruijne was the most prolific freshman goal scorer in Division I last season with 15 goals. She also led all freshmen with 32 points. de Buijne, a native of Den Bosch, Netherlands, was last season’s BIG EAST co-Freshman of the Year as well as a First Team All-BIG EAST honoree and an NFHCA Second Team All-American. The Monarchs reached a second-consecutive BIG EAST Final due in large part to de Bruijne, who scored both goals in a 2-1 win over No. 6 Liberty in the semifinals. ODU lost the title match to nine-time defending champion UConn, but de Bruijne was one of four Monarchs to make the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
 
Liberty’s Iritxity Irigoyen is the defending Defensive Player of the Year and co-Freshman of the Year from last season.  The Buenos Aires, Argentina native was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the week four consecutive times from March 1-22 and earned national weekly awards on March 24. Iritxity Irigoyen started in all contests for Liberty, marking three shutouts in 11 league games, averaging 4.18 saves per game and a 1.11 goals against average. During the conference season, she led the BIG EAST in save percentage (.807). The freshman finished the season with a 4.27 save per game (64), 1.19 goals-against average and .800 save percentage. Iritxity Irigoyen was also a member of the All-BIG EAST First Team.
In addition to the poll and preseason awards, the conference also released the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
 
The 12-member squad includes four forwards, three midfielders, four defenders and a goalkeeper. There is one extra member due to a tie in voting. Three players were unanimous selections: Bolton and UConn senior midfielder Abby Gooderham and Old Dominion junior midfielder Delphine Le Jeune.
 
Eight members of the preseason All-Conference squad were named to last season’s first team.
 
 The preseason all-conference team is listed below.
 
Field Hockey gets underway on Friday, Aug. 27. BIG EAST play starts Friday, Sept. 17.
 
Preseason Co-BIG EAST Offensive Players of the Year
Jill Bolton, Liberty, Sr., F
Marlon de Bruijne, Old Dominion, So., F
 
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, Liberty, So., GK
 
Preseason All-Conference *
Azul Iritxity Irigoyen, Liberty, So., GK
Kourtney Kennedy, UConn, Sr., B
Claire Jandewerth, UConn, So., B
Jodie Conolly, Liberty, Jr., B
Nienke Oerlemans, Temple, Sr., B
Abby Gooderham, UConn, Sr., M ^
Delphine Le Jeune, Old Dominion, Jr., M ^
Nora Goddard-Despot, Providence, Jr., M
Jess Dembrowski, UConn, Sr., F
Jill Bolton, Liberty, Sr., F ^
Daniella Rhodes, Liberty, Jr., F
Marlon de Bruijne, Old Dominion, So., F
 
* There are 12 members of the preseason All-BIG EAST team due to a tie in voting
^ indicates a unanimous selection
 
BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll
First-place votes in ()

1. Connecticut (4)	46
2. Liberty (4)	45
3. Old Dominion	38
4. Temple	31
5. Providence	22
6. Villanova	20
7. Quinnipiac	15
8. Georgetown	7