Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

GLEN ALLEN, VA -- The University of Delaware field hockey team was ranked No. 17 in this week’s STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll after receiving 208 points during a vote by the NFHCA.

For the Blue Hens, it was the third consecutive week they were ranked in the top 20. In the previous poll, Delaware was ranked No. 14 but fell three spots after splitting their two contests this past week. They defeated Monmouth, 8-2, before falling to Saint Joseph’s, 2-1.

After defeating Monmouth, the Hens improved to 7-0 for just the second time ever. They tied the 1994 squad for the best start in team history.

Despite the team’s first loss of the season at Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, Delaware’s .875 winning percentage this season is tied for fifth best among Division I teams.

The Hens are led by a high-powered offense that is averaging 3.5 goals per game, which is seventh best in Division I. Delaware’s 2.38 win margin is also sixth highest in the country.

The offense is led by Casey Howard (at right), who is tops on the team with six goals and 13 points. Molly Burke is second on the squad with five goals, while Tori Karsten has added four goals and two assists.

Freshman Jackie Tait and senior co-captain Amanda Warrington have both posted four assists on the season, which is tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Goalie Nikki Rhoades has also helped power the Hens, posting a league-leading 0.75 goals against average. She also leads the CAA with three shutouts.

North Carolina remained as the No. 1 team in the NFHCA poll, receiving 41 first place votes. Maryland stayed in the second spot, while Iowa, Connecticut, and Wake Forest rounded out the top-five.

Fellow CAA members James Madison and Old Dominion also stayed in the Top-20, ranking No. 8 and 14 respectively. William & Mary and Drexel were among teams also receiving votes, while Duke, who faces Delaware on October 20, was picked No. 8.

The Blue Hens return to action on Friday at 7 p.m. when they travel to face the No. 8 ranked James Madison Dukes for the team’s conference opener in Harrisonburg, VA.

AGATE:

2007 STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (September 18): 1. North Carolina (41 first-place votes), 972 points; 2. Maryland (8 first-place votes), 936; 3. Iowa, 827; 4. Connecticut, 812; 5. Wake Forest, 787; 6. Michigan State, 747; 7. Penn State, 631; 8. James Madison, 589; 9. American, 535; 10. Boston College, 478; 11. Ohio, 408; 12. Michigan, 372; 13. Duke, 363; 14. Old Dominion, 345; 15. Virginia, 337; 16. Louisville, 251; 17. Delaware, 208; 18. Albany, 190; 19. Boston, 153; 20. Stanford, 144.