Sports
Field Hockey Picked as Preseason Favorite
By: Tyler Rosten
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The Ohio Field Hockey team has high expectations for themselves this season, and so does the rest of the Mid American Conference. The defending MAC champions have been picked in the 2012 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll to win the MAC for a second straight year with 30 votes for the regular season. They also received the most votes (4) to finish first in the conference tournament.
Coming off a 19-5 (9-1 MAC) record the Bobcats graduated Jen McGill, Louzeth Schutte, Jenna Green and Brooke Edwards last season. One of the biggest losses was McGill, the former starting goalkeeper, whose duties now fall upon sophomore Brittany Walker who saw action in only four games last year.
However losing the MAC Player of the Year in 2011, Louzeth Schutte, is a very big loss as well as losing starters Jenna Green and Brooke Edwards who all logged big minutes for the Bobcats last year. Ohio faithful shouldn’t worry though with returners Taylor Brown, Cathryn Altdoerffer and Jessica Jue leading the charge for the Bobcats this season.
Not to mention head coach Neil Macmillian returns for his eighth season running the field hockey program. Under his direction the Bobcats have captured four MAC titles in the last six seasons (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011) and have reached the NCAA tournament twice (2007,2011). Ohio, who finished the season ranked 20th in last season’s NFHCA 2011 poll, are trying to make history with back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. The Bobcats have also added seven new freshmen to this year’s squad to provide more depth during their championship run.
Ohio Field Hockey opens the season Friday, Aug. 24, at Colgate at 7pm before taking on #7 Syracuse on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 1pm in a two game road trip.