Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Ranked No. 2 in Preseason NFHCA National Coaches Poll
8/22/2023 10:06:00β―AM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. βΒ Northwestern field hockey is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the preseason NFHCA National Coaches Poll, which was released on Tuesday. The 'Cats received 13 first-place votes and 914 points, trailing only top-ranked and defending national champions North Carolina.Β
The Wildcats return a number of starters from last year's national runner-up squad, which finished the 2022 season with a 20-5 record, including NFHCA All-West first team member Lauren Wadas and second team members Alia Marshall and Annabel Skubisz.Β
Three of the four schools Northwestern played in the NCAA Tournament all rank inside the top seven, with North Carolina at No. 1, Maryland at No. 3 and Iowa at No. 7. The 'Cats will travel to face the Hawkeyes on Oct. 6 and will host the Terrapins on Oct. 26 to conclude the regular season.Β
Of its 17 regular season opponents, 10 are ranked in the preseason top 20, including Northwestern's first three opponents of the 2023 campaign in No. 9 Louisville, No. 17 Boston College and No. 20 Duke.
Northwestern opens the season at Lakeside Field on Sunday against the Cardinals, with game time slated for 11 a.m. CT.
NFHCA National Coaches Poll
- North Carolina
- Northwestern
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Penn State
- Virginia
- Iowa
- Syracuse
- Louisville
- Princeton
- St. Joseph's
- Wake Forest
- Harvard
- Liberty
- UConn
- Rutgers
- Boston College
- Old Dominion
- Albany
- Duke
