WALTHAM, Mass. – Coming off an 11-8 season, the Bentley University field hockey team is forecast for sixth in the 15-team Northeast-10 Conference, according to a preseason poll of conference coaches.

Bentley totaled 143 points in the voting, just ten shy of cracking the top four. Saint Anselm College, with 186 points, topped the balloting while defending regular season conference champion Pace University followed with 178. Also in front of the Falcons were Stonehill College (157), Assumption College (153) and Southern New Hampshire University (151).

Pace had the edge in first place votes with seven, one more than Saint Anselm received. The two two were split between Adelphi University and Assumption.

Coach Jessica Spencer returns six full-time starters and 20 players from last year's squad that finished in a three-way tie for seventh in the conference.

Topping the list of veterans is senior forward Tess Anderson (Stow/Nashoba Reg. HS), who was a first-team All-Northeast-10 honoree after amassing 18 goals and 41 points. That was the most goals by a Falcon since 2005 and tied for seventh most nationally in Division II.

The Northeast-10 will have a new look this year with the departure of Merrimack College and LIU Post, along with the addition of Mercy College, Molloy College and St. Thomas Aquinas College as associate members.

Bentley will open the 2019 season Sept. 7 at Franklin Pierce University and will take on Saint Anselm four days later in its home debut.  Both of those contests will be considered non-conference.

Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Saint Anselm, (6)                 186                15-7, 10-3
2. Pace (7)                              178                18-3, 13-0
3. Stonehill                              157                13-7, 8-5
4. Assumption (1)                    153                12-8, 7-6
5. Southern N.H.                      151                10-9, 8-5
6. Bentley                               143                11-8, 7-6
7. Adelphi (1)                          127                9-9, 7-6
8. Franklin Pierce                     96                  6-12, 3-10
9. St. Michael's                        82                  3-14, 3-10
10. New Haven                        67                  2-15, 1-12
11. American Int'l.                   56                  3-15, 3-10
12. Molloy                               53                  12-7, 0-0
13. Mercy                               43                  6-12, 0-0
14. Southern Conn. St.            42                  0-18, 0-13
15. St. Thomas Aquinas           41                  4-14, 0-0

NE10 Release