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| Senior All-America Kerri Sullivan and the Skyhawks open their 2008 campaign on August 30 at home versus East Stroudsburg. |
Skyhawks Picked Second In Preseason Field Hockey Poll
North Easton, Mass. - With their first match less than two weeks away, Stonehill has been picked second in the annual Northeast-10 preseason coaches' poll it was announced on Monday.
Defending Conference champion, UMass-Lowell, garnered nine of the 10 first-place votes and finished with 99 points.
The Skyhawks, meanwhile, grabbed the other first-place vote to collect 81 points. They were followed by Bentley (80), St. Michael's (78) and St. Anselm (48). Southern Connecticut (47), Assumption (45), Merrimack (33) and Franklin Pierce (21).
In 2007, Stonehill opened the season 7-0, reaching the program's highest ranking ever, climbing to No. 2 in the NFCHA poll. They finished the campaign at 15-6 overall, falling to St. Michael's in the Northeast-10 Tournament Quarterfinals.
Stonehill saw several key departures following their loss to the Purple Knights, including the loss of Caitlin Gleason and Aly Boulis, the program's No.1 and No. 2 all-time leading scorers.
Senior All-America Kerri Sullivan (Goffstown, N.H.) and junior Northeast-10 All-Star Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass.) return to the fold for first-year head coach Shelly Morris.
Sullivan, a first-team All-Conference selection a season ago, anchored a Stonehill defense that posted seven shutouts in 2007. Ladino, meanwhile, has 10 assists in each of her first two seasons and ranks fourth on the school's all-time list.
The Skyhawks open their 2008 campaign with a home contest against East Stroudsburg on August 30 at noon. That contest is followed by three straight road contests, including meetings with UMass-Lowell and St. Michael's.