CC Preseason Poll

CC Preseason Guide

LANCASTER, Pa. – For the fourth consecutive season, the Ursinus College field hockey team tops the Centennial Conference preseason poll.

The Bears, four-time defending CC champions, received seven of a possible ten first-place votes to earn 97 points and top billing in a sampling of the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own programs.

Franklin & Marshall, runner-up to Ursinus in each of the last four title games, collected three first-place ballots to land in second place with 92 points, while Muhlenberg grabbed the final first-place vote and claimed third with 79 points. Dickinson (75) was right behind in fourth, followed by Haverford (63), Gettysburg (50), Johns Hopkins (47), Washington College (42), McDaniel (29), Swarthmore (20), and Bryn Mawr (10).

Head coach Janelle Benner and company made it a four-peat with a thrilling overtime triumph over the Diplomats in last year's CC final, capturing another crown on Bridget Sherry's game-winning penalty stroke. Led by a pair of All-Americans in Aliki Torrence and Amber Steigerwalt, Ursinus advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to No. 2 Salisbury in a hard-fought defensive struggle.

Despite losing Torrence and Steigerwalt (and three other senior starters), the Bears are primed to reload in their quest for a fifth consecutive conference championship. Last year's hero Sherry, now a junior, anchors an always stout defense that also includes senior Emma Frees and junior Mikayla Jordan. Sherry, who has started 38 games over her first two seasons, was a second team All-CC and All-South Region selection as a sophomore, while Frees (22 starts) and Jordan (16) were impressive a year ago, their first as full-time starters.

Junior Jules Singer is back between the pipes following a strong campaign in which she fashioned five shutouts and a 1.10 goals-against average.

Sophomore Erin Saybolt (three goals, three assists) will man the midfield after collecting CC Rookie of the Year honors and starting every game of her rookie season; she figures to have help from classmate Anna Hall (1 assist in 15 games) and senior Katelyn Hauck (2 assists in 12 games, with six starts).

Senior Brooke Overly will be tasked with leading the offensive attack, coming off a breakout season in which she ranked second on the team in points (32) and third in goals (12). Sophomore Gemma Dufoe, who posted five goals and an assist in 20 appearances as a freshman, will also be counted upon to shoulder some of the scoring load with support from classmates Katerina DeLuca (2 goals in 10 games) and Abbie Roberts (10 appearances).

Benner has loaded the Bears' schedule with a number of high-profile contests, including three against NCAA Tournament participants from a year ago. Two of those are among a four-game gauntlet to kick off the season; Ursinus hosts perennially ranked Rowan in its opener (9/1), followed by a home showdown with defending national champion Messiah (9/6), a trip to Liberty League power William Smith (9/9), and a Snell Field date with Elizabethtown (9/13).

The Bears play six of their first seven games at home, which also includes CC clashes with McDaniel (9/16) and Swarthmore (9/20) sandwiched around the annual Snell Game against West Chester on Sept. 17. Ursinus welcomes rival Franklin & Marshall to Snell Field on October 7; The Bears will also host NCAA quarterfinalist TCNJ on October 14, and Senior Day is set for October 21 against Johns Hopkins. 

2017 CC Field Hockey Preseason Poll