Preseason Notebook: Rankings, Ratings & All-ACC Teams

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Tuesday morning produced a flurry of collegiate field hockey news, especially for fans of ACC teams. Announcements included the preseason Penn Mondo/NFHCA poll, the Preseason All-ACC Team and the ACC predicted order of finish.

Highest Preseason Ranking Ever

The Boston College field hockey team will kick off the 2016 season this weekend ranked No. 8 nationally, according to the preseason Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll.

The preseason poll was released on Tuesday morning by the NFHCA, the Eagles captured their highest-ever preseason ranking, and their highest ranking in the NFCHA's first poll of the season in program history.

Previously, the team's highest opening ranking was No. 9 in both 2007 and 2010.

Last year, BC finished the year ranked No. 9 in the final Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll on Nov. 10.

McCoy Tabbed to Preseason All-ACC Team

Senior All-American Emily McCoy was one of 11 selections to the Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team, which was released today by the conference.

This marks the second-straight season in which McCoy has earned the preseason designation. McCoy earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2015 after she posted 26 points (10 goals, 6 assists) in 22 games as a junior.

2016 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team
Emily McCoy, Sr., M, Boston College
Ashley Kristen, Jr., F, Duke
Nicole Woods, Jr., F/M, Louisville
Ayeisha McFerran , So., GK, Louisville
Julia Young, Sr., B, North Carolina
Emma Bozek, Sr., M/F, North Carolina
Lies Lagerweij, Jr., B, Syracuse
Laura Hurff, Jr., M/F, Syracuse
Tara Vittese, Jr., M, Virginia
Lucy Hyams, Sr., M, Virginia
Jule Grashoff, So., F, Wake Forest

Six of the 11 on the preseason squad were named Longstreth/NFHCA All-Americans in 2015, including three who earned first team honors: Syracuse's Laura Hurff, and Virginia's Tara Vittese and Lucy Hyams. Vittese was also named the National Player of the Year by the NFHCA.

ACC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

The ACC also released the preseason order of finish on Tuesday. Defending conference champion North Carolina was chosen first with 34 points and four first-place votes, followed by Virginia and Syracuse with one point separating the two. BC was selected to finish seventh this season.

2016 ACC Field Hockey Predicted Order of Finish

North Carolina (4) – 34
Virginia (1) – 28
Syracuse (2) – 27
Duke – 22
Wake Forest – 14
Louisville – 12
Boston College – 10

ACC teams have won 18 of the 35 NCAA field hockey titles, including 11 of the last 14, and at least one ACC squad has advanced to the national championship for 17 straight years. All seven ACC programs earned bids to the 2015 NCAA Championship and all seven finished the 2015 season ranked nationally.

Both the preseason order of finish and the selections to the Preseason All-ACC Team were determined by a vote of the league's seven head coaches, who were unable to vote for their own teams or players.

Head coach Kelly Doton's squad returns six starters and 17 letterwinners from the 2015 team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, and also claimed its first-ever win in the ACC Championship en route to a semifinal appearance. The Eagles have added five freshmen this year. Also returning is senior All-American midfielder Emily McCoy, as well as two other NFHCA all-region honorees: senior Eryn McCoy and sophomore Frederique Haverhals.

Boston College's 2016 schedule features 11 teams that were part of the 16-team NCAA Tournament field, as well as 12 teams ranked in the final 2015 NFHCA poll. The Eagles get the 2016 season underway on Friday, Aug. 25, when they travel to face Quinnipiac at 1 p.m. in Hamden, Conn. Live stats and a live video stream of the game will be available through bceagles.com.

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Preseason Notebook: Rankings, Ratings & All-ACC Teams

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