The Keene State College field hockey team was picked to claim the 2022 Little East Conference (LEC) championship, according to the 2022 LEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Owls, who advanced to the LEC title game for a league-record 18th time last season, totaled 134 points and secured six first-place votes. They are in search of their conference-record 15th championship, which would be their first since 2018.
Defending LEC tournament champion Eastern Connecticut State University was voted second in the poll, totaling 132 points and five first place votes after winning the conference title for the first time in program history in 2021. Worcester State University, which won its first-ever LEC championship in 2019, earned 122 points and the remaining two first-place votes to finish third in the coaches’ preseason ranking.
The University of Southern Maine totaled 117 points to finish fourth in the poll. The remainder of the projected eight-team LEC Championship Tournament field includes Westfield State University (92 points), Plymouth State University (77 points), Castleton University (71 points) and Western Connecticut State University (58 points).
The complete preseason poll is as follows. 2022 LEC Field Hockey Preseason Poll Ranking
1. Keene State - 134 points (6 FPV)
2. Eastern Connecticut - 132 points (5 FPV)
3. Worcester State - 122 points (2 FPV)
4. Southern Maine - 117 points
5. Westfield State - 92 points
6. Plymouth State - 77 points
7. Castleton - 71 points
8. Western Connecticut - 58 points
9. UMass Dartmouth - 54 points
10. Salem State - 36 points
11. Bridgewater State - 26 points
12. Fitchburg State - 22 points
13. Framingham State - 21 points NOTE: Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own program when determining the preseason ranking.Original source can be found here.