Keene State tabbed As Little East field hockey preseason pick

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Keene State College has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2012 Little East field hockey regular-season title, according to a vote by the conference’s 12 head coaches. The Owls penned seven first place votes and a total of 136 points into their ledger to make the program’s seventh appearance atop the annual coaches’ survey.

“The bull’s-eye is on our back again.  “We know it’s our title to defend because we won the championships last year, but it’s not the same team,” said KSC field hockey coach Amy Watson.  “We lost seven seniors; six of them were four-year players. Those are huge shoes to fill.  Fortunately, we have a lot of returners who have game experience which is key.”

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University were the only other institutions to break the 100-point barrier with the Corsairs edging the Panthers by five points (129-124). UMass Dartmouth received three first-place tallies, while Plymouth State earned the remaining two votes. Bridgewater State University finished just under the 100-point threshold with 96. The top-four teams in the final regular-season standings earn home field advantage in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 Little East Field Hockey Championship tournament.

Keene State is ranked atop the preseason coaches’ poll for the first time since 2009 after setting the program single-season wins record (20) in 2011. Under the direction of Watson, the Owls posted an overall record of 20-5, including an unblemished 11-0 mark within the conference circuit, to surpass the previous standard set by the 2003 squad (19-6). Keene State captured the regular-season championship and earned home field advantage throughout the Little East tournament. The Owls raised the program’s eighth Little East field hockey championship trophy with a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Plymouth State to advance to the NCAA Division III Championship. Keene State registered the program’s first NCAA win against Endicott College, defeating the Gulls 2-0 to make its first appearance into the second round. The Owls bowed out of the national tournament with a loss at top-ranked Bowdoin College.        

Watson will welcome six starters and a total of 16 student-athletes back into the fold from the 2011 record-breaking squad. Sophomore goalkeeper Caitlin Davino-Draper will return for her second season in between the pipes for Keene State. The 2011 Little East Rookie of the Year backstopped the Owls to the top-ranked defense in the Little East, allowing just 1.14 goals per game and posting 10 shutouts.  The Owls will open their 2012 schedule at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, when Keene State hosts Western New England.