Rider Tabbed as Favorites in MAAC Field Hockey Inaugural Season
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ – The Rider University Broncs have been chosen as the preseason favorites in 2013 determined by a vote of the league’s seven head coaches. The 2013 season marks the inaugural year the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will support Field Hockey as a sport and championship.
Rider, the three-time defending conference champions, went 15-6 overall and 6-1 in the conference play in 2012. The Broncs will return 2012 NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player Sandra Penas, as well as two members of the 2012 Second Team All-NEC, Alicia Govannicci at midfield and Rachel Ippolite at defense. Rider’s head coach Lori Hussong, who has led her team to six conference championship titles, returns for her fourteenth season at the helm of the Broncs.
Rider’s Penas was chosen as the 2013 MAAC Field Hockey Preseason Player of the Year. Penas, a native of Barcelona, Spain, was ranked first in the Northeast Conference in both points (49) and goals (20) in the 2012 season. She stood eighth nationally in goals per game with 0.95 goals and ninth nationally in points per game with 2.33 points.
Quinnipiac University finished second in the poll with 43 points. Monmouth University was third with 37 points, followed by Robert Morris University (25), Sacred Heart University (20), Bryant University (18) and Siena College (9).
The preseason All-MAAC team consists of Bryant’s Rosie Bird, Quinnipiac’s Jess Rusin and Rider’s Penas at forward. The midfielders are Monmouth’s Trish O’Dwyer, Quinnipiac’s Jennalise Taylor, Rider’s Govannicci and Robert Morris’ Jamie Hartley. Bryant’s Kelsey Hiltebeitel, Monmouth’s Alex Carroll and Quinnipiac’s Amanda Danziger were selected as the defenders. Sacred Heart’s Mary Altepeter and Siena’s Beth Meyers were selected as goalies.
The 2013 MAAC Field Hockey Championships will take place November 8-9 at Rider University. Fans can purchase tickets, here: http://maac.ticketleap.com/2013-maac-field-hockey-championship/.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
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1.
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Rider
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44
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2.
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Quinnipiac
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43
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3.
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Monmouth
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37
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4.
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Robert Morris
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25
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5.
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Sacred Heart
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20
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6.
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Bryant
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18
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7.
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Siena
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9
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Preseason All-MAAC Team
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Rosie Bird
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Forward
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Bryant
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Jess Rusin
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Forward
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Quinnipiac
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Sandra Penas
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Forward
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Rider
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Trish O’Dwyer
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Midfield
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Monmouth
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Jennalise Taylor
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Midfield
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Quinnipiac
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Alicia Govannicci
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Midfield
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Rider
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Jamie Hartley
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Midfield
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Robert Morris
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Kelsey Hiltebeitel
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Defense
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Bryant
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Alex Carroll
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Defense
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Monmouth
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Amanda Danziger
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Defense
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Quinnipiac
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Mary Altepeter
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Goalie
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Sacred Heart
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Beth Meyers
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Goalie
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Siena
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Preseason Player of the Year
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Sandra Penas
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Forward
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Rider
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About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The MAAC, headquartered in Edison, N.J., consists of 11 member institutions: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University and Siena College. For more on the conference please visit, www.maacsports.com.
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