Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Field Hockey Tabbed Seventh in Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Poll
August 26, 2014 | Field Hockey
2014 PENN MONTO/NFHCA PRESEASON POLL
PRINCETON, N.J. - Fresh off a 22nd Ivy League title and 17th NCAA Tournament appearance, the Princeton University field hockey team has been tabbed seventh in the 2014 Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
Receiving 22 first-place votes, perennial power Maryland took home the top slot with 881 points, followed by North Carolina (855) and defending national champion Connecticut (831) in the top three. Each receiving a first-place nod, Duke (766) and Syracuse (729) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
Virginia (572) narrowly edged out Princeton (571) for the sixth slot, with Penn State (552), Old Dominion (516) and Massachusetts (406) rounding out the top-10. Wake Forest (381), Stanford (366), Boston College (361), Northwestern (303) and Louisville (258) came in 11th through 15th, followed by Michigan State (216), Michigan (204), Delaware (194), American (186) and Iowa (173).
Beginning with a tough opening weekend at No. 4 Duke (9/5) and No. 6 Virginia (9/7), Princeton will once again have to navigate a rigorous schedule that features eight teams ranked in the preseason top-20.
Things don't get any easier for the Orange & Black with a match-up at regional rival and eighth-ranked Penn State looming on Sept. 12. Last season, the Tigers split a pair of matches against the Nittany Lions, avenging a 4-3 regular season loss with a 5-4 triumph in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
With several other high profile showdowns on the docket, Princeton also squares off with No. 19 American (9/21), No. 5 Syracuse (10/5), No. 18 Delaware (10/10), No. 1 Maryland (10/15), and No. 3 UConn (10/26).
In 2013, eight of the team's 19 contests came against ranked opponents, with the Tigers posting wins over then-No. 10 Duke, No. 15 Albany and No. 9 Penn State.