EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg field hockey team was ranked No. 2 in this week's edition of the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region rankings released on Wednesday.
The NCAA regional rankings are annually used to determine the teams that qualify for the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships.
Shippensburg holds the top spot despite the Warriors having a head-to-head victory over the Raiders. Mount Olive checked in at No. 3, followed by Kutztown and Bloomsburg to round out the top-five.
Rankings are released every Wednesday afternoon until the announcement of the tournament field, which is set for 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6. Each set of rankings includes all games played through the previous Sunday.
Three teams from each of the two regions (Atlantic, East) will advance to the 2023 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships following the completion of the regular season and conference championships.
Conference champions (PSAC, NE-10, SAC) do not receive automatic berths into the NCAA Tournament.
Upon selection, the six qualifying teams will be re-seeded No. 1 through No. 6 without consideration for region.
NCAA Division II Field Hockey Regional Rankings
Atlantic Region
1. Shippensburg
2. East Stroudsburg
3. Mount Olive
4. Kutztown
5. Bloomsburg
East Region
1. Assumption
2. Saint Anselm
3. Pace
4. Bently
5. Southern New Hampshire
2023 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships Facts:
- The announcement of the tournament field is set for Monday, November 6, at 3 p.m. via webcast on ncaa.com
- The regional rankings committees are tasked with assigning teams based on the following criteria, per the NCAA pre-championship manual: Division II in-region winning percentage; Division II winning percentage; Division II strength of schedule (opponents' average winning percentage and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage); Division II head-to-head competition and results versus Division II common opponents. Additional criteria specific to field hockey includes: late-season performance (last seven games of season), Performance Indicator (PI) and Rating Percentage Index (RPI).
- The NCAA Quarterfinals (No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed; No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed) will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11. The higher seed is slated to host each quarterfinal pending it meets the requirements defined by the NCAA
- The NCAA Semifinals will be held Friday, Nov. 17 at Grappone Stadium on the campus of Saint Anselm (Manchester, N.H.)
- The NCAA Division II Championship game will be held Sunday, Nov. 19 at Grappone Stadium on the campus of Saint Anselm (Manchester, N.H.)
