FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons College received seven of a possible seven first-place votes and 49 points overall to take first place in the 2016 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league’s head coaches.

Simmons has captured both GNAC Championships in the sport of field hockey since the conference began sponsoring it in 2014-15, besting Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in last year’s final, 1-0, before falling to New Paltz St. in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Joseph’s placed second in the preseason poll with 39 points.

Johnson & Wales University took the third spot with 32 points, narrowly ahead of Lasell College’s 29 points and Anna Maria College’s 27 points, while Mount Ida College and Rivier University made up the remainder of the poll with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The 2016 campaign gets underway this Thursday, as Mount Ida, Lasell, Anna Maria and defending GNAC champion Simmons will all be in action. The GNAC Tournament will begin with first-round action on Saturday, October 29, with the championship contest scheduled for the following weekend on Saturday, November 5.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

2016 GNAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll
1. Simmons (7) – 49
2. Saint Joseph's of Maine – 39
3. Johnson & Wales – 32
4. Lasell – 29
5. Anna Maria - 27
6. Mount Ida – 11
7. Rivier - 10

– #TheGNAC –