Westfield State Field Hockey Picked to Finish Second in MASCAC Preseason Poll
The Owls will open the 2023 season at the Caryl Newhof Classic tournament at Smth College, with the Owls’ match against Nichols College on Friday, Sept. 1, with a 4:30 start.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University field hockey has been forecast to finish in a tie for second place in the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference pre-season coaches' poll released on Tuesday.
The MASCAC schools will compete solely under the league's banner for the first time in the 2023 campaign, with six schools vying for the conference title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will go to the winner of the MASCAC tournament. Westfield State and the MASCAC's other schools previously competed as affiliate members of the Little East Conference in the sport of field hockey.
Worcester State, the top finished among the MASCAC schools last year, was picked to finish first with 24 points and four first place votes. The Owls finished in a tie for second with 18 points, alongside Framingham State University.
Fitchburg was fourth with 15 points and one first place vote, followed by Salem State and Bridgewater State. Coaches may not vote for their own team in the poll.
Westfield begins the 2023 campaign on Friday under new head coach Carden Brown. Brown was an assistant on the Owls staff last year under Jessica Bergen, who left Westfield in the spring to become the head coach at Trinity College.
Brown returns a solid nucleus for the Owls, which includes 10 seniors and the top six scorers from a year ago. Top scorers Skyla Harthcock (10-10-30) and Emily Martin (10-6-26) highlight the offensive attack, while Paige Reisman (2.41 GAA) and Emma Gnaidek (1.57 GAA) saw the lion's share of the minutes in goal.
Seniors Morgan Wichmann and Bre Foley anchor the back four on defense.
The Owls will open the 2023 season at the Caryl Newhof Classic tournament at Smth College, with the Owls' match against Nichols College on Friday, Sept. 1, with a 4:30 start. Smith faces UMaine Farmington in the early game on Friday. The consolation and championship pairings will begin on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.