Atlantic 10 announces preseason field hockey poll & All-Conference team
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The Atlantic 10 Conference has announced the preseason coaches’ poll and the preseason All-Conference team, and Lock Haven University field hockey standout Jazmin Palma was named to the preseason All-Conference team. The Bald Eagles were picked fifth of eight in the preseason coaches’ poll.
VCU, the 2020-21 A-10 champions, received five of eight first-place votes and earned the distinction of the preseason favorite. Perennial powers Saint Joseph’s and Massachusetts rounded out the top-three. Saint Joseph’s earned one first-place vote and earned the No. 2 spot in the rankings with 53 points. UMass grabbed two first-place votes and 50 total points in the poll, which pushed the Minutewomen into the No. 3 spot. Richmond checked in at No. 4, one spot ahead of Lock Haven as the Bald Eagles enter the season ranked fifth in the A-10 preseason poll. Davidson, La Salle and Saint Louis rounded out the rankings.
Palma earned All-Conference honors in the spring after being named to the 2020-21 First Team. Back in 2019, she also earned First Team recognition to go along with her 2019 A-10 Rookie of the Year honor.
Although it looked much different and was shorter than a normal fall season, Lock Haven and the Atlantic 10 held a 2020-21 field hockey season last year, which was conducted in the spring. It concluded with the Atlantic 10 tournament being held in late-April. Despite the timing, light schedule and new look, the 2020-21 season treated the Bald Eagles well.
Lock Haven certainly made the most of the special 2020-21 season and took full advantage of the spring field hockey. Highlighting the campaign was a conference playoff berth.
Back in July (2020), the Atlantic 10 Conference announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests in conference-sponsored sports and A-10 championships due to the continuing COVID-19 global pandemic. That announcement included field hockey, but part of the announcement also included the league’s intentions to conduct a competitive schedule for fall sports during the 2021 spring semester and they did just that.
During the unique 2021 spring season, Lock Haven played five regular-season games – all vs. A-10 opponents. LHU went 4-1 and picked up a pair of wins over nationally-ranked conference powers. When the Bald Eagles topped Massachusetts back on March 25, UMass was ranked No. 20 nationally and Lock Haven knocked off then-ranked No. 19 Saint Joseph’s on April 10. LHU’s only loss came on April 3, when Massachusetts slipped by Lock Haven, 2-1 in overtime in the two teams’ second meeting of the 2021 spring season.
Lock Haven’s 4-1 record regular-season – with wins over Massachusetts and Saint Joseph’s – led the Bald Eagles to the 2020-21 A-10 North Division regular season title and No. 2 seed for the 2020-21 tournament.
Overall, LHU finished the 2020-21 season 4-2 after falling to Saint Joseph’s in the A-10 semifinals, 4-2.
The 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Tournament appearance marked Lock Haven’s second straight season where the Bald Eagles reached the conference tournament. LHU’s 2019 A-10 semifinal appearance marked Lock Haven’s first A-10 tournament appearance since 2014.
Since joining the A-10 as an affiliate member in 2010, Lock Haven has qualified for the A-10’s postseason tournament five times.
The 2020-21 season also allowed Lock Haven to celebrate a milestone anniversary as it marked the 75th anniversary of the first field hockey season back in 1945-46.
This fall, LHU will rely on the return of four All-Conference players. Last year, standout-goalkeeper Joaquina Orlandini joined Palma on the 2020-21 A-10 First Team. Both Martina Spagenberg and Anna May Barbusca enjoyed brilliant rookie campaigns last season. Spagenberg earned All-Conference Second Team honors and both players were named to A-10’s All-Rookie squad.
Lock Haven will officially open the season on Friday, August 27 at home. The Bald Eagles will host Long Island at 3 p.m. in non-conference action. It’s the first of back-to-back home games for LHU to start the season and in all, LHU will play nine home games during the 2021 fall season. Last year, Lock Haven was 2-1 at home in the special, but shortened spring 2021 semester season. Back in 2019, Lock Haven was 6-4 on the home turf.
In all, LHU is scheduled to play 17 regular season games during the 2021 season. Lock Haven’s first road test will come on Sunday, September 5 at Colgate and the Bald Eagles first A-10 contest comes six games in on September 17 at home vs. VCU. As the schedule sits today, the Bald Eagles will close the 2021 fall season with a four-game homestand from October 15 to October 30 vs. Richmond, Sacred Heart, Davidson and Massachusetts.
The full 2021 LHU field hockey schedule is available at GoLHU.com.
2021 Preseason Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Coaches’ Poll – –
*(points; first-place votes)
1. VCU (58 pts.; 5)
2. Saint Joseph’s (53 pts.; 1)
3. Massachusetts (50 pts.; 2)
4. Richmond (44 pts.)
5. Lock Haven (34 pts.)
6. Davidson (21 pts.)
7. La Salle (18 pts.)
8. Saint Louis (10 pts.)
2021 Preseason Atlantic 10 Field Hockey All-Conference Team – –
Jess Beech, Massachusetts
Georgie McTear, Massachusetts
Steffie Bongers, Richmond
Katy Benton, Saint Joseph’s
Anna Miller, Saint Joseph’s
Sasha Elliott, VCU (GK)
Litiana Field, VCU
Bridget McCormick, VCU
Maite Sturm, VCU
Janne Wetzel, VCU
Jazmin Palma, Lock Haven
