Kutztown, Saint Anselm, and East Stroudsburg claim top three spots in NFHCA preseason poll: coaches

The 2025 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II preseason poll was published Tuesday. Photo: Bob Benscoter

After an exciting opening weekend of NCAA Division I and III college field hockey, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association has released its Division II preseason poll.

Teams that performed strongly last season or have brought in promising recruits appear prominently in the rankings, according to Division II coaches. This early assessment helps fans, players, and other coaches understand what to expect during the regular season.

Sitting at No. 1 is Kutztown University, which also ranked No. 1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) preseason poll. The Golden Bears won their first NCAA DII championship in 2023, but fell short of a repeat last season with a 1-0 overtime loss to Saint Anselm College.

Saint Anselm, ranked No. 2, earned their first national title in program history in 2024. Head coach Carolyn King-Robitaille enters her 14th season in charge. The college prides itself on being the first Northeast-10 Conference program to win the National Championship in the sport of field hockey.

The Hawks victory ended a 12-game winning streak by PSAC institutions.

East Stroudsburg is ranked No. 3 on the list. The Warriors have four players on the NFHCA DII Watchlist, including Kerry Kaufman, Charlotte Simon, Minke Klijn, and Isabella Viruet.

Kaufman had a “breakout junior campaign.” She set career highs last season, with seven goals, four assists, and 18 points, as well as earned 2024 All-PSAC Second Team and Division II All-American Second Team honors. She started in 20 out of 22 games.

As the reigning PSAC champions, Shippensburg have earned the No. 4 NFHCA ranking. The Raiders faced East Stroudsburg last year in an intense 1-0 overtime battle to claim the conference title.

A key player in their success, Alexa Michielsen, scored the game-winning goal. She has since moved on to play Division I at Delaware.

Assumption University, ranked No. 5 in the coaches preseason poll, also have four players on the NFHCA Watchlist. They are Julia Carbone, Paige Gillette, Jillian McSorley, and Elle Murray.

Gillette, the squad’s goalkeeper, played every minute of all 22 games last season, tying a program record with 11 shutouts. McSorley held the nation’s third-best scoring defense, while also having the most shutouts in DII.

According to the NFHCA, the poll is voted on by designated NFHCA member coaches from each conference and has no bearing on selection to the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship.

10. Newberry

9. Mansfield

8. Southern New Hampshire

7. West Chester

6. Bloomsburg

5. Assumption

4. Shippensburg

3. East Stroudsburg

2. Saint Anselm

1. Kutztown

Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Sydney Madden is a student-intern at Penn State University.