Field Hockey News

AGGIE FIELD HOCKEY TEAM SELECTED THIRD IN CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

ANNVILLE (PA) - The Delaware Valley College field hockey team has been picked to finish third and qualify for the Freedom Conference playoffs according to a preseason poll of conference coaches.

The Aggies, under 2006 Freedom Conference Coach of the Year Carol Di Girolamo, received 34 total points in the poll, including one first-place vote. Defending Freedom Conference champion King's College garnered four, first-place votes and finished atop the poll with 39 points. FDU-Florham placed second with 34 points.

The entire 2007 Freedom Conference pre-season coaches' poll is as follows:

1. King's College -- 39 points (4)
2. FDU-Florham -- 34 points
3. Delaware Valley College -- 33 points (1)
4. Wilkes University -- 32 points (1)
5. DeSales University -- 24 points
6. Manhattanville College -- 22 points
7. Arcadia University -- 13 points

Delaware Valley returns 10 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 10-9 overall and qualified for the conference playoffs with a 4-3 mark and a fourth-place finish. The Aggies fell to King's in the semifinals. Among the returnees are 2006 first-team all-conference honoree Michelle Cernobyl (Allentown, PA/Louis E. Dieruff) and second-team selection and Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year Bethany Pavlik (Lewes, DE/Sussex Tech). The two combined for 25 goals and 56 points last season.

Delaware Valley begins its 2007 season on Saturday, September 1 (10:00 a.m.) when it battles Wells College at the Villa Julie College Tournament.