Aug. 16, 2011

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Winner of four of the last six America East titles, the Boston University field hockey team has been picked to return to the top of the conference by finishing first in the 2011 America East Coaches' Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.

The Terriers earned 23 points and three out of a possible five first-place votes while defending champion Albany was right behind with two top-place votes and 21 points. Head coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams in the poll.

New Hampshire, last year's regular-season champion, garnered the final first-place vote to finish tied for third with Maine, each capturing 16 points. Fairfield and Vermont tied with seven points apiece to round out the six-team poll.

The Terriers return eight starters from a 2010 squad that went 10-8 and finished the year ranked 20th in the nation. Amongst the returnees are senior Andrea Greene, BU's leading scorer last with 29 points on the strength of 13 goals, and juniors Jacinda McLeod and Nicole van Oosterom, who are the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, respectively, in the conference.

The top-finishing team in the regular season will host the 2011 America East Field Hockey Championship on November 4 and 6. The league's top four teams will compete for the tournament title with an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship on the line. The conference earned an automatic bid to the national tournament by finishing with the fourth-highest RPI last year only behind the ACC, Big Ten and Big East.