EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University field hockey team was selected to finish second in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced Tuesday.
ESU received a pair of first-place votes, with defending national champion Kutztown earning 15 of the 19 first-place votes as the predicted winner. Shippensburg earned the remaining two first-place votes to take third place in the preseason poll. Other PSAC representatives include West Chester (6th), Bloomsburg (8th), and Millersville (10th).
The Warriors reached the national championship game in each of the past two seasons, with ESU capturing its second national title in program history in 2022. ESU has reached at least the NCAA semifinal round in each of the past six campaigns, dating back to 2017.
Guided by 40th-year head coach Sandy Miller, ESU finished the 2023 season 18-3 overall, 8-1 in the conference, and captured the program's fourth PSAC title. ESU was predicted to finish second in the PSAC preseason poll announced last month.
ESU begins the 2024 slate on Friday, Sept. 6, when the Warriors welcome Saint Anselm to Whitenight Field at 4 p.m.
Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll
| Rk. |
Team |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Kutztown |
177 (15) |
| 2. |
East Stroudsburg |
168 (2) |
| 3. |
Shippensburg |
145 (2) |
| 4. |
Assumption |
99 (0) |
| 5. |
Saint Anselm |
94 (0) |
| 6. |
West Chester |
92 (0) |
| 7. |
Mount Olive |
64 (0) |
| 8. |
Bloomsburg |
57 (0) |
| 9. |
Pace |
40 (0) |
| 10. |
Millersville |
32 (0) |
