The highly anticipated annual college field hockey coaches polls are here starting with the preseason predictions presented by Penn Monto and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
It should come as no surprise that NCAA Division I coaches selected Northwestern as the No. 1 team, especially with the Olympic presence of Maddie Zimmer and recent transfer Ashley Sessa, who formerly played at North Carolina. Head Coach Tracey Fuchs also spent time working as an assistant coach with the USA National Women’s Olympic Field Hockey team that finished No. 9 in the world at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The entire roster, much like all of the ranked NCAA Division I colleges, has depth. Northwestern has firepower in Lauren Wadas, Olivia Bent Cole, and has guardian Annabel Skubisz in its cage.
North Carolina, the reigning champions, enter the season ranked No. 2. Under the leadership of first-year coach Erin Matson, Carolina captured its 11th natty last season. The game went down to shootouts against Northwestern. Returner Riley Heck landed the point for the Tar Heels earning them the title.
It is Matson’s second year at the helm.
Carolina has a deep bench of seasoned players with over a dozen returners, a handful of skilled freshman, and a fifth-year transfer from Harvard.
The Northwestern and Carolina feud has been ongoing for the past three seasons. The teams clashed in 2023 and 2022. Carolina took home the trophy twice. Northwestern and Liberty were able to battle for the title in 2021, stopping Carolina from its three-year run of winning the NCAA Division I tournament. The ‘Cats won the championship for the first time in the program’s history in 2021.
According to the NFHCA, “The Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll is a composite ranking of the top 20 teams with a .500 or better record in the nation each week. Each Division I team with an NFHCA member coach is permitted one vote for the ranking each week.
Polls are announced every Tuesday during the field hockey playing season.
The Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll is voted on by NFHCA member coaches and has no bearing on selection to the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.”
20. University at Albany
18. Wake Forest University
18. Old Dominion University
17. Boston College
16. Pennsylvania State University
15. Princeton University
14. The Ohio State University
13. Saint Joseph’s University
12. University of Michigan
11. Liberty University
10. Syracuse University
9. Rutgers University
8. Harvard University
7. University of Louisville
6. University of Iowa
5. Duke University
4. University of Maryland
3. University of Virginia
2. University of North Carolina
1. Northwestern University
Photo: Iowa at Penn State, October 2023, Bob Benscoter
By FAN – US
