First Place Votes Split Amongst Four Squads

FOREST, Va. --- Parity is the word that best describes what the conference coaches foresee from the ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll as four teams split first place votes and are separated by just seven points in the annual coaches' survey. Washington and Lee University heads up the chart for the second straight year, collecting three top nods and 43 total points. Lynchburg College sits second with 41 tallies and one first place vote, while defending ODAC champion Shenandoah University is just another two points behind after earning three first place votes. Bridgewater College garnered the remaining top prediction on the way to 36 total markers.

For the second time in as many years, a new champion was crowned in 2016 with Shenandoah's run to capture the league trophy. The fourth-seeded Hornets used a 5-1 triumph over Virginia Wesleyan University (then VWC) in the quarterfinals to setup a date with top-seeded Lynchburg in the semifinals. SU earned a 2-1 overtime victory to join third-seeded W&L in the finals. The Hornets notched one goal in each half to hoist their first piece of ODAC hardware and punch their tickets to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Shenandoah's first round opponent was nationally 15th-ranked University of Rochester, an institution where SU head coach and ODAC Coach of the Year Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft spent five years as an assistant. The Tigers got the best of Hornets on the former's home field, eliminating SU via a 2-0 result.

ODAC fans will not be devoid of familiar faces in 2017 as 21 of the 34 All-ODAC honorees from a season ago are set to return. Bridgewater leads the way with five overall all-league standouts on its roster, while Lynchburg features two of the five returning stars from the 2016 All-ODAC First Team. That list includes defender Hannah Krause and 2015 ODAC Player and Rookie of the Year, forward Nikki Simpao.

Eastern Mennonite University new head coach Ashley Kisner benefits from the return of first team defender Emily Augsburger, while Randolph-Macon College welcomes back goalkeeper Kelsey Stanley. Shenandoah midfielder Elizabeth Pardo caps the list of first team returners. She'll be joined in Winchester by the return of 2016 ODAC Rookie of the Year, Taylor Hayes.

The 2017 season begins with non-conference play on Friday, September 1.  The first ODAC match of the season is slated for Tuesday, September 19. The regular season closes on Saturday, October 28 and leads into the annual six-team ODAC Tournament. Quarterfinal play at the #3 and #4 seeds is set for Tuesday, October 31. The #1 seed will host the semifinals and championship on Friday-Saturday, November 3-4. If you can't make it to the games, be sure to check the schedules online for live video, audio and statistics links.

Listed below is the 2017 ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll as well as preview capsules for each of the ODAC field hockey programs.  For more information on ODAC field hockey, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

2017 Poll Position: 4th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 11-7/6-2 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #2/Eliminated in Semifinals (W&L, 2-1) Head Coach: Allyson Kenyon Overall Record/Yrs: 130-130 (.500)/14 Record at BC/Yrs: 130-130 (.500)/14 ODAC Record/Yrs: 57-52 (.523)/14 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Ali Bishop (GK), Emily Matisons (BC), Elizabeth Washington (M)   Third Team: Laura Gretz (D), Georgia Howard (D) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 31 - Emily Matisons   Goals: 11 - Emily Matisons   Assists: 9 - Emily Matisons   Defensive Saves: 2 - Laura Gretz/Isabel Lopez   Saves: 89 - Ali Bishop		2017 Poll Position: 5th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 11-7/4-4 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #6/Eliminated in Quarterfinals (W&L, 3-0) Head Coach: Briana Banks Overall Record/Yrs: 45-76 (.372)/7 Record at RC/Yrs: 45-76 (.372)/7 ODAC Record/Yrs: 18-36 (.333)/7 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Kaylin Stenson (D)   Third Team: Rebecca Schmidt (M) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 25 - Rebecca Schmidt   Goals: 10 - Rebecca Schmidt   Assists: 5 - Rebecca Schmidt   Defensive Saves: 1 - Caroline Peterson/Stacey Staley   Saves: 63 - Heather Schauder
2017 Poll Position: 8th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 7-10/2-6 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: Did not qualify Head Coach: Ashley Kisner Overall Record/Yrs: First Season Record at EMU/Yrs: First Season ODAC Record/Yrs: First Season Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Emily Augsburger (D)   Second Team: None   Third Team: Emily Price (F) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 34 - Emily Price   Goals: 15 - Emily Price   Assists: 4 - Mikayla Martin/Madeline Mast/Emily Price   Defensive Saves: 1 - Emily Augsburger/Janae Kauffman/Madeline Mast/Rachel Musselman   Saves: 38 - Kelsey Troyer		2017 Poll Position: 3rd 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 13-9/5-3 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #4/Champion (W&L, 2-0) 2016 NCAA Tournament: Eliminated by Rochester (2-0) in 1st Round Head Coach: Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft Overall Record/Yrs: 46-33(.582)/4 Record at SU/Yrs: 46-33(.582)/4 ODAC Record/Yrs: 22-9 (.710)/4 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Elizabeth Pardo (M)   Second Team: Kayla Alderman (F), Taylor Hayes (M-ROY)   Third Team: Morgan Payne (D) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 29 - Morgan Payne   Goals: 12 - Morgan Payne   Assists: 10 - Taylor Hayes   Defensive Saves: 6 - Kiera Lane   Saves: 16 - Jenna Rampale
2017 Poll Position: 2nd 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 11-7/8-0 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #1/Eliminated in Semifinals (SU, 2-1 OT) Head Coach: Enza Steele Overall Record/Yrs: 552-218-11 (.714)/37 Record at LC/Yrs: 552-218-11 (.714)/37 ODAC Record/Yrs: 242-33-2 (.877)/35 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Hannah Krause (D), Nikki Simpao (M)   Second Team: Lacey Elliott (F)   Third Team: Kayla Copeman (F) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 43 - Nikki Simpao   Goals: 18 - Nikki Simpao   Assists: 7 - Karissa LeMaire/Nikki Simpao   Defensive Saves: 3 - Hannah Krause   Saves: None		2017 Poll Position: 6th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 7-11/4-4 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #5/Eliminated in Quarterfinals (SU, 5-1) Head Coach: Christina Restivo Overall Record/Yrs: 24-46 (.343)/4 Record at VWU/Yrs: 24-46 (.343)/4 ODAC Record/Yrs: 10-21 (.323)/4 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: None   Third Team: None Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 8 - Lindsy Smarrelli   Goals: 4 - Lindsy Smarrelli   Assists: 1 - Morgan Lee/Hunter Majewski/Ashley Parker/Taylor Wilhelm   Defensive Saves: 1 - Emma Walsh   Saves: 118 - Skye Swain
2017 Poll Position: 7th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 3-14/1-7 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: Did not qualify Head Coach: Jessica Weiss Overall Record/Yrs: 3-14 (.176)/1 Record at RMC/Yrs: 3-14 (.176)/1 ODAC Record/Yrs: 1-7 (.125)/1 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Kelsey Stanley (GK)   Second Team: None   Third Team: None Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 13 - Victoria Cappadora   Goals: 6 - Victoria Cappadora   Assists: 2 - Sara Sprinkel   Defensive Saves: 3 - Riley Greenwood   Saves: 165 - Kelsey Stanley		2017 Poll Position: 1st 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 13-7/6-2 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #3/Runner-up (SU, 2-0) Head Coach: Gina Wills Overall Record/Yrs: 145-54 (.729)/10 Record at W&L/Yrs: 24-14 (.632)/2 ODAC Record/Yrs: 12-3 (.800)/2 Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Maggie Sands (M/F)   Third Team: Lilly MacDonald (M), Haley Tucker (F) Top Returning Statistical Leaders   Points: 26 - Lauren Paolano/Haley Tucker   Goals: 12 - Lauren Paolano   Assists: 6  Haley Tucker   Defensive Saves: None   Saves: 86 - Ariyel Yavalar