UD's Esmée Peet was picked as the Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Blue Hens Headline Preseason Field Hockey Poll
Tim McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (August 12, 2015) – Two-time defending Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) field hockey champion Delaware was chosen by the conference’s head coaches to win the title again in 2015. Similarly, UD junior All-American Esmée Peet was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Delaware garnered 33 points and a league-high three first-place votes to sit atop the preseason poll while James Madison (two first-place votes), last season’s runner-up to the Blue Hens, earned 30 points and was predicted to place second. Last season UD became the first league team to win back-to-back field hockey titles since 2011, and finished the year with a 13-9 overall mark. Delaware, which now has won four CAA field hockey titles in all, also earned the right for the second straight season to host an NCAA Tournament contest.
Just two years ago as a true freshman, Peet was named CAA Player and Rookie of the Year. Last season during her sophomore campaign, the Netherlands native notched 11 goals and five assists. On top of that, Peet was named to the All-CAA First Team for the second time in her career and garnered Second Team All-America honors from the NFHCA. The Blue Hens and fifth-year coach Rolf van de Kerkhof bring back a wealth of talent along with Peet, including senior midfielder Michaela Patzner (12 G, 9 A), a consensus First Team All-CAA honoree and All-American in 2013. Classmate Allie Mikelson was named Most Outstanding Performer at the 2014 CAA Championship and set a school record with 10 defensive saves one year ago.
James Madison welcomed back longtime head coach Christy Morgan in 2014 and the move paid off right away. The Dukes (12-8) were nationally ranked twice during the regular season and reached the CAA title game for the first time since 2008. Morgan’s 150th career victory came in impressive fashion as fourth-seeded JMU defeated top-seeded host and No. 18 Northeastern in the tournament semifinals (3-0).
Back for more in 2015 is redshirt senior Taylor West and senior Loes Stijntjes, two of the of the conference’s top offensive weapons. West led the CAA in shots and shots per game and ranked third with 13 goals, while Stijntjes finished tied for second in total points with 34 on 14 goals and six assists.
Northeastern was third in the poll with 25 points and William & Mary followed in fourth with 20 points. Each school received one first place vote. The Huskies made history in 2014 after finishing conference play with a 5-1 record which helped the program capture its first-ever CAA regular season title. NU also hosted the CAA Championship for the first time and ended the year ranked No. 19 in the final NFHCA poll. Junior goalkeeper Becky Garner (1.66 GAA, .742 Save %) has quickly established herself as one of the top shot-stoppers in the CAA. Offensively, Northeastern looks to junior Natalie Stewart (6 G, 8 A), who joined Garner as the only other First Team All-CAA Husky returner. Tribe senior Pippin Saunders is a two-time All-CAA First Team honoree and paced William & Mary with 10 goals and three assists last year.
Drexel received 16 points to round out the top five. Hofstra and Towson followed in order for sixth and seventh place with 15 and six points, respectively.
The 2015 CAA field hockey season starts on Friday, August 28.
|
2015 CAA FIELD HOCKEY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH |
|
1. |
Delaware (3) |
33 |
|
2. |
James Madison (2) |
30 |
|
3. |
Northeastern (1) |
25 |
|
4. |
William & Mary (1) |
20 |
|
5. |
Drexel |
16 |
|
6. |
Hofstra |
15 |
|
7. |
Towson |
6 |
() = First place votes
2015 CAA FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON TEAM
|
Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
|
Jenna Knouse, Drexel |
B |
Sr. |
Elliotsburg, Pa. |
|
Emma MacLeod, William & Mary |
M |
So. |
Richmond, Va. |
|
Claudia Marin Samper, Hofstra |
F/M |
Jr. |
Terrassa, Spain |
|
Jessica McCarthy, Drexel |
M |
Jr. |
Havertown, Pa. |
|
Michaela Patzner, Delaware |
M |
Sr. |
Rosenheim, Germany |
|
Esmée Peet, Delaware |
M |
Jr. |
Zeewolde, The Netherlands |
|
Pippin Saunders, William & Mary |
F/M |
Sr. |
Mittagong, New South Wales |
|
Stella Schoen, Hofstra |
F/M |
Jr. |
Hamburg, Germany |
|
Natalie Stewart, Northeastern |
M |
Jr. |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
|
Loes Stijntjes, James Madison |
B/M |
Sr. |
Steenokkerzeel, Belgium |
|
Taylor West, James Madison |
M/F |
R-Sr. |
Princess Anne, Md. |
|
Becky Garner, Northeastern |
GK |
Jr. |
Somerset, England |
2015 PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Esmée Peet, Delaware |
Preseason Honorable Mentions: Taylor Kvilhaug, Towson, So., M; Vanessa Pryor, Northeastern, Sr., F; Simca Schoen, Hofstra, So., D; Lauren Hibshman, Drexel, Sr., M/B; Taylor Lister, Delaware, So., F; Erin Menges, William & Mary, So., M/D; Allie Mikelson, Delaware, Sr., M; Carys Swan, Hofstra, So., GK; Meghan Winesett, Delaware, Jr., F |