LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College field hockey team was picked third in the Centennial Conference preseason poll.
The Bears received 84 points and one first-place vote, trailing only 2019 champion Johns Hopkins (97 points, 7 first-place votes) and Franklin & Marshall (92 points, 3 first-place votes) in a survey of head coaches. Bryn Mawr (60 points) and Dickinson (58) rounded out the projected playoff field, with Gettysburg (57) a close sixth. Muhlenberg (44) was seventh, followed by Washington College (43), Haverford (37), Swarthmore (23), and McDaniel (10).
The Bears enter the season with high hopes in search of their first conference crown since 2016 and with an experienced core in place following the return of four fifth-year seniors. Devon Carroll, Gabriela Howell, Erin McIlhenny, and Kayla Paulson all elected to utilize their additional season of eligibility, a massive boost for head coach Janelle Benner and company.
Carroll is a two-time all-conference midfielder who broke out as a junior in 2019, earning first team All-CC and first team All-South Region laurels after ranking second in the league with 14 goals. She has posted 23 goals and 7 assists over the past two competitive seasons.
Howell led the team with eight assists in 2019, while McIlhenny is a three-year starter who ranked third in the conference with seven defensive saves two seasons ago. Paulson has started every game in the midfield for the past two years.
The Bears also retain the skills of senior Jamie Mayer (5 goals, 3 assists in 2019) and junior Laura Rothschild (3G/1A), who along with classmate Jordan Moore was a key contributor two years ago.
Jordan Ulsh takes over between the pipes for Addie Frey, who was an all-conference goaltender in 2019, and Ursinus boasts a dozen team members still itching for their first taste of collegiate competition.
The Bears open the season on September 1 at Rowan.