Blue
Hen Field Hockey Picked No. 3 in
Pre-Season CAA Coaches
Poll
DATE:
August 17, 2004
RICHMOND,
VA -- The University of Delaware field
hockey squad picked up the Blue Hens' best
pre-season ranking in the Colonial
Athletic Association coaches polls
released by the league office.
The field
hockey squad, which has advanced to the
CAA final twice in the last three years,
was picked No. 3 in the pre-season poll in
a vote of th eight league coaches. The
Delaware women's soccer and women's
volleyball teams were both picked No. 5 in
their polls and the UD men's soccer team
was the No. 10 pick on their ballot.
In field
hockey, eight-time defending champion Old
Dominion was the pre-season favorite with
six first place votes and 48 total points
followed by William & Mary (40),
Delaware (two first place votes, 39),
James Madison (30), Virginia Commonwealth
(24), Hofstra (20), Towson (12), and
Drexel (11).
In women's
soccer, defending champion William &
Mary was the top pick with four first
place votes and 75 total points, edging
Virginia Commonwealth with five first
place votes and 74 points. James Madison
was third with one first place vote and 66
points followed by Hofstra (57), Delaware
and George Mason in fifth (45), UNC
Wilmington (27), Old Dominion and Towson
(25), and Drexel (11).
In women's
volleyball, defending regular season
champion Towson was the overwhelming
favorite with seven first place votes and
49 points. Tournament champion Hofstra was
second with one first place vote and 39
points followed by James Madison (34),
George Mason (32), Delaware (28), William
& Mary (22), Virginia Commonwealth
(13), and UNC Wilmington (7).
In men's
soccer, 2003 champion and NCAA second
round participant Old Dominion was the
heavy favorite with seven first place
votes and 78 points. Virginia Commonwealth
was second with two first place votes and
70 points followed by George Mason with
one first place vote and 60 points,
William & Mary (60), James Madison
(51), UNC Wilmington (43), Hofstra (33),
Drexel (28), Towson (16), and Delaware
(10).
The UD
field hockey squad returns All-Americans
Jessi Balmer and Erica LaBar from last
year's team that went 14-7 and advanced to
the league championship game for head
coach Carol Miller. The Blue Hen women's
soccer team, led by head coach Scott
Grzenda, is coming off one of its finest
seasons ever when Delaware posted a 10-6-3
record, placed third in the CAA standings,
and advanced to the league quarterfinals.
Goalkeeper Lindsay Shover leads a squad
that should be strong defensively.
In
volleyball, the Hens will be looking to
improve upon last year's 11-17 overall
mark and 5-9 league record that just
missed a post-season berth. Head coach
Bonnie Kenny will look to All-CAA standout
Valerie Murphy to lead the way. In men's
soccer, head coach Marc Samonisky's squad
will look to better last year's 4-11-5
record. The Hens will be led by standout
goalkeeper Kyle Haynes and sophomore
midfielder Matt Haney.
The fall
seasons for each team will get underway in
the next few weeks with the women's soccer
squad opening the athletics season with a
game vs. Saint Joseph's at home Aug. 27.
Field hockey will open the season Aug.
28-29 at the Michigan State Tournament in
Lansing, MI, men's soccer will open Sept.
1 at Georgetown, and volleyball will open
the campaign Sept. 3-4 at the Cal State
Fullerton Tournament.
- DDD
-
Copyright,
© 2004, University of Delaware. All
rights reserved.
Please direct Athletics questions to the
Athletics
Media
Relations
office.
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