Field Hockey Tabbed Fourth by CCC Head Coaches in Preseason Poll
Golden Bears travel to Wheaton for 2019 season opener on Saturday, August 31
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (August 22, 2019) – The Western New England University field hockey team placed fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league office announced on Thursday afternoon.
Western New England received 25 points in the poll, which is voted on by all seven head coaches in the CCC. Endicott College was selected as the preseason favorite with 47 points and five first-place votes, while the University of New England collected the final two first-place nods and finished second with 44 points. Salve Regina's 30 points were good for third place, and the final three spots in the poll went to Roger Williams (24), Nichols (15) and Gordon (11).
Kyle Lyons, who earned NFHCA All-America honors during her standout playing career at the University of New Hampshire, takes over as head coach for a Western New England field hockey program that has made three consecutive appearances in the CCC Tournament.
The Golden Bears posted a 6-6 mark in league play last fall, closing out the regular season with four straight victories to earn the No. 3 seed in the CCC playoffs. Western New England brings back its top four leading scorers from 2018, highlighted by senior forward Jacqueline Clark (Auburn, Mass.), who registered a team-best 27 points (12 goals, 3 assists) a season ago. Junior Haley Daigneault (Longmeadow, Mass.) and sophomore Taylor Klesyk (Hamden, Conn.) also return after contributing 17 and 16 points in 2018, respectively.
Western New England opens the 2019 season on the road at Wheaton College on Saturday, August 31st. The Golden Bears then return home for four straight contests, including a matchup with crosstown rival Springfield College on Wednesday, September 4th. CCC action gets underway against the University of New England on Wednesday, September 18th, and Western New England hosts Endicott in a Homecoming Weekend clash on Friday, October 4th.
