WALTHAM, Mass. – After capturing the 2021-22 conference championship with a 56-49 win over Stonehill College, the Bentley University women's basketball team is this year's preseason favorite in the Northeast-10 Conference

In the preseason coaches poll which was released by the conference today, coach C White's Falcons received nine first-place votes and a total of 139 points. The other first-place votes were distributed among Southern Connecticut State (2), Pace University (1) and Southern New Hampshire University (1).

In the voting, the next four after Bentley were closely-bunched. Southern Connecticut was second with 112, with Le Moyne (108), Pace (105) and SNHU (102) following.

With the departure of Stonehill College, the NE10 will return to a single division this season. Each team will face eight teams twice and the other four once.

All-Conference center and leading scorer Autumn Ceppi is now a graduate assistant coach, but White returns nine players, including four who were regulars in the starting lineup. That includes third-team All-Northeast-10 guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North HS), who has returned as a graduate student for her final season of eligibility.

Also among the returnees are second-team All-NE10 guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) and a pair who were voted to the NE10 All-Rookie Team last year, Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) and Amanda Kabantu (Portland, Maine/Portland HS).

Bentley will play its first six games on the road, beginning at the Caldwell Conference Challenge Nov. 11-12.

NORTHEAST-10 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1) Bentley - 139 (9)
2) Southern Connecticut State - 112 (2)
3) Le Moyne - 106
4) Pace - 105 (1)
5) Southern New Hampshire - 102 (1)
6) Adelphi - 90
7) Saint Anselm - 81
8) Franklin Pierce - 70
9) Assumption - 64
10) New Haven - 57
11) American International - 41
12) Saint Michael's - 26
13) Saint Rose - 21