Defending NE10 Champion Saint Anselm captured 11 of a possible 15 first place votes and 190 total points to take the top spot in the 2021 NE10 Field Hockey Coaches' Poll, in a vote of the NE10's head coaches. Assumption came in second with 171 points and a first place vote while Adelphi took three first place votes and had 168 points to finish third. Stonehill and Southern New Hampshire tied for fourth in the poll with 146 points.
The final day of the regular season is Oct. 30, with NE10 Quarterfinal action taking place on Monday, Nov. 1. The NE10 Semifinals will be played on Thursday, Nov. 4, followed by the NE10 Championship Game on Sunday, Nov. 7 at the highest remaining seed.
NO. 1 SAINT ANSELM
The last time the Hawks took the field it was to play in the national championship game, it’s no surprise St. Anselm sits atop the NE10 Preseason Poll in 2021. The Hawks only allowed an NE10-record six goals in 2019, while also ranking second in the NE10 at 3.0 goals per game. The squad may look different in 2021, but they have won three of the last four NE10 Regular Season Championships and should once again contend for the conference crown.
This year Saint Anselm opens its season by hosting Franklin Pierce in a non-conference contest at 11 a.m.
Key Returning Players
- Carly LaCasse: LaCasse is the team’s top returning scorer after tallying a team-high 12 goals with five assists for 29 total points. She had a season-high seven points in a win over Pace and will be a scored for the Hawks in 2021.
- Maeve Murphy: She appeared in all 23 games off the bench as a rookie in 2019, scoring four times for the Hawks on 31 shots. Her final goal of the season came in the national championship as she tallied the lone goal in St. Anselm’s loss to West Chester.
NO. 2 ASSUMPTION
The Greyhounds reached the NE10 Semifinals in 2019 before falling to eventual Champion St. Anselm, and then earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Assumption lost 1-0 in the NCAA First Round but still concluded the year with a 16-5 record, including 11-3 in the NE10. The team averaged 3.0 goals per game to tie for second in the conference while allowing just 14 total goals all year.
Assumption begins its 2021 campaign by hosting 2019 National Champion West Chester on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Deirdre Burchill: The NE10’s top returning goal scorer, Burchill tallied 15 goals in 2019 and has 33 through her first three seasons. The Greyhounds were 10-0 when she scored in 2019 as she was a First-Team All-Conference performer.
- Kylie Gargiulo: Gargiulo burst on the scene in her first year as a starting goalkeeper. She started 18 games in net, going 13-5 and posting a 0.61 GAA with an impressive 11 shutouts two years ago, including a shutout of Saint Anselm during the regular season.
NO. 3 ADELPHI
The Panthers had a slow start to the 2019 season, but fought through a 2-2 start to go on a ten-game win streak and eventually earn the No. 2 seed in the NE10 Tournament. The win streak included victories over Stonehill, SNHU and Assumption. Overall the team posted nine shutouts during the year. Adelphi’s season came to an abrupt end in the NE10 Quarterfinals as they were upset by No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas 2-1 in overtime to finish with a 14-5 record.
Adelphi begins its season on Sept. 2, when the Panthers travel to play New Haven in a non-conference matchup.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Jackie Brown: Brown is the team’s top returning scorer after she tallied eight goals and four assists while playing in all 19 games. She had three game-winning goals and was a FIrst-Team All-Conference selection in 2019.
- Dani Kempf: Kempf showed scoring prowess as a midfielder with four goals and four assists as she earned First-Team All-Conference honors. Three of her four goals were game-winners as she started all 19 games in 2019.
NO. 4 STONEHILL
The Skyhawks had another strong season in 2019, going 11-6 overall and 11-3 in the NE10 to finished tied for fourth in the standings. They secured the No. 4 in the NE10 Tournament thanks to a regular season victory over Assumption, however, the Greyhounds came back to earn a victory in the NE10 Tournament. All six of Stonehill’s losses came to nationally ranked teams, with four of the six losses by a single goal.
The Skyhawks host 2019 NCAA Semifinalist East Stroudsburg on Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. to begin the 2021 season.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Olivia Cameron: Cameron was the team’s top scorer in 2019, registering eight goals and four assists for 20 points. She appeared in all 17 games, starting 16, while scoring two goals two different times during the season.
- Emma Mawn: Mawn was a Third-Team All-Conference selection in 2019 while finishing second on the team with 15 points. The sophomore had six goals and six assists on 41 shots, including a hat trick in a win over Pace.
NO. 4 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Penmen had a record-breaking 2019 campaign, reaching the NE10 Championship game for the first time in program history and also making the NCAA Tournament, where they fell in the NCAA First Round. SNHU finished the season with a 17-5 record and 12-2 mark in the NE10 to secure the No. 3 seed going into the NE10 Tournament. The team took down Bentley and STAC before falling 2-0 to Saint Anselm in the NE10 Title contest.
The Penmen begin their season by hosting American International in a non-conference game on Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Emily Campbell: Campbell is the team’s top returning scorer as she totaled nine goals and ten assists for 28 points. Her ten assists ranked second in the NE10 and she was also named a Third-Team All-Conference selection in 2019.
- Faye Turkmen: Turkmen started 21 games in the midfield for the Penmen in 2019. The senior scored twice with four assists for eight total points.
no. 6 bentley
The Falcons went 9-10 in 2019, but 7-7 in NE10 play to tie for sixth in the NE10 standings. They earned the No. 6 seed in the NE10 Tournament thanks to a tiebreaker and took No. 3 SNHU to two overtimes before eventually falling 2-1 in the NE10 Quarterfinals. Bentley scored three or more goals seven times throughout the season and tied for fourth in the NE10 with 2.4 goals per game.
Bentley start its season by hosting Bloomsburg on Sept. 3 at 12 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Sam Simione: Simione earned Third-Team All-Conference honors in 2019 after finishing third on the team with five goals and four assists for 14 points. She started all 19 games for the Falcons and is a co-captain this year.
- Christine Murray: Murray appeared in 18 games off the bench as a sophomore in 2019. The forward tallied her first goal in a win over Molloy and will be counted upon to contribute on offense in 2021.
NO. 7 PACE
The Setters had a down year in 2019, going 5-9 in the NE10 and 6-12 overall, though they did win five of their final seven games of the year. In 2018, Pace went undefeated in the NE10 during the regular season (13-0) and won an NCAA Tournament First Round game. Two years ago, the Setters averaged 1.8 goals per game while allowing 2.9 per contest.
Pace looks to start its season off strong, hosting St. Thomas Aquinas in a non-conference game on Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Grace Henderson: Henderson was the 2018 NE10 Rookie of the Year and posted a 13-3 record with a 1.10 GAA. Over her two years as a starter she has appeared in 39 total games with a 1.71 GAA, .734 GAA and a 19-15 record with five shutouts.
- Danielle Merante: Merante was the team’s leading scoring in 2019, recording 11 goals for 22 points. She totaled 34 shots on the team, including 27 on goal as a sophomore while scoring twice in three different games.
NO. 8 FRANKLIN PIERCE
The Ravens went 8-11 in 2019 and 7-7 in the NE10 to tie for sixth and reach the NE10 Tournament for the first time since 2011. They fell to the No. 8 seed in the NE10 Tournament due to tiebreakers and lost 2-0 to top seed Saint Anselm. The team did manage to play four games in the spring of 2021, going 3-1, with its lone loss a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Hawks.
The Ravens begin their season by traveling to face Saint Anselm in a non-conference game on Sept. 4 at 11 a.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Meghan Winn: In 2019, her first season with the team, Winn was named to the NE10 All-Rookie Team after starting all 19 games. She tallied eight points on three goals and two assists with one game winning goal.
- Christine Jarowicz: Jarowicz appeared in 18 games as a freshman back in 2019. She finished tied for second on the team with three assists and also added one goal
NO. 9 NEW HAVEN
The Chargers went 5-13 and 5-9 in 2019, the program’s third year of existence. They won four more conference games than the previous season for the best record in program history. They scored two or more goals in four of their five wins, highlighted by a 4-2 victory over Molly for their highest single-game goal total in program history.
The Chargers look to start their season strong when they host Adelphi in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Julia Battino: Battino served as a team captain in 2019 and led the team with four goals and eight points. She started all 18 games and netted a pair of game-winners over the course of the season.
- Taylor Geaglone: Geaglon started all 18 games for the Chargers, earning Third-Team All-Conference honors. She was a team captain and finished second on the team with seven points from two goals and three assists.
NO. 10 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
St. Thomas Aquinas joined the NE10 prior to the start of the 2019 season. The Spartans were picked 15th in the preseason poll but finished the year 10-10 and an even 7-7 in the NE10 to earn the No. 7 seed in the NE10 Tournament. They upended No. 2 Adelphi 2-1 in double overtime in the NE10 Quarterfinals before falling to SNHU in the Semifinals to end their impressive run.
STAC begins its season on the road, traveling to Pace for a 4 p.m. non-conference contest on Sept. 2
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Lauren Cooper: Cooper started 19 games for the Spartans back in 2019, scoring four times for eight points. She was also third on the team with 28 shots, including 18 on goals.
- Arielle Rodriguez: Rodriguez started ten games as a junior in 2019 while appearing in 15 overall. She registered ten shots, including six on goal.
NO. 11 SAINT MICHAEL'S
The Purple Knights went 4-14 in 2019, along with a 4-10 mark in NE10 play. St. Michael’s did win two of its final four contests of the year along with wins over NE10 Tournament teams Bentley and Franklin Pierce to set the table for a solid 2021 season.
The Purple Knights travel to play Mansfield on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. in their season opener.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Jenna Puleo: Puleo was the Purple Knights’ top offensive threat in 2019 after starting all 18 games in 2019. She was a Second-Team All-Conference selection after registering nine goals and two assists for 20 points on 72 shots.
- Jess Edmonds: Edmonds started 17 of 18 games on defense as a sophomore in 2019. She recorded three defensive saves over the course of the season, and helped the defense give up two or fewer goals in eight games.
NO. 12 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
AIC went 10-8 in 2019, for the program’s first ten-win season since 2016, and finished ninth in the NE10 standings with a 6-8 mark. The Yellow Jackets opened the year with five straight victories and also won two of their final four games to secure a winning record. AIC went an unfortunate 1-4 in overtime contests and six of its eight losses were by a single goal.
The Yellow Jackets travel to Southern New Hampshire for a non-conference season opener on Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Taylor Wildes: Wildes earned spot goalkeeper duty in 2019 as a freshman, appearing in one game for 15 minutes but she did make one save without allowing a goal. She is expected to anchor the team in the cage this season.
- Nicole Mercadante: In 2019, Mercadante appeared in 17 games, starting 16 contests for AIC. She finished with an assist one five shots while also recording a defensive save as a sophomore.
NO. 13 SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT ST.
The Owls are coming off a 1-16 season and 1-13 mark in the NE10. Their lone victory was a 4-1 defeat of Molloy, though they had eight games decided by a single goal and two of those were overtime contests. Three of their one-goal losses were to teams who reached in the NE10 Tournament, in Franklin Pierce, St. Thomas Aquinas and Bentley.
SCSU begins its season on Sept. 4 as the Owls travel to face Kutztown on the campus of Mansfield at 2 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Janelle Ward: In 2019, Ward alternated between forward and goalkeeper due to injuries. She returns as the team’s top goalie after going 0-2 in six appearances with a .703 save percentage. Ward did score twice on offense as well.
- Meg Habakangas: Habakangas started all 17 games on defense last year for the Owls. The senior did record one shot and also had one defensive save.
NO. 14 MERCY
The Mavericks went 3-11 during their first season in the NE10 and 4-12 overall. All three of their conference wins came by a single goal, against Pace, Southern Connecticut and Molloy. Mercy finished off their season on a strong note with a 2-0 victory over Frostburg St.
Mercy travels to face Molloy in a non-conference contest on Sept. 4 at 12 p.m.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Alyssa Sacco: Sacco led the team in scoring back in 2019, with three goals and three assists for nine points. The freshman earned All-Rookie Team honors for her impressive play and will look to lead the offense once again in 2021.
- Lily Sherry: Sherry appeared in 16 games back in 2019 as a freshman, making 15 starts. She tallied her lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Pace to lift Mercy to its first NE10 victory.
no. 15 molloy
The Lions finished the year with a 1-17 record and 1-13 mark in the NE10. They won their first-ever NE10 contest, 2-0 over Saint Michael’s. Despite recording just one victory, Molloy did have five games decided by a single goal. They also ranked 12th in the NE10 in scoring with 19 goals.
Molloy hosts Mercy in a non-conference game at 12 p.m. on Sept. 4 to begin the season.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
- Kyra Dalli: As a sophomore in 2019, Dalli led Molloy in scoring with five goals and two assists. She started all 18 games and recorded 39 shots with 20 on goal, while also adding two defensive saves.
- Ally Saigh: Saigh started 14 games in net as a freshman while recording a 1-9 record. She made 107 saves to go with a 3.41 GAA, and had four games of 11 or more saves.