UConn, Cal make biggest moves in latest Division I NFHCA poll

Eight of the top 20 teams reshuffled in week six of the NFHCA Division I poll.

Northwestern and Maryland held firm atop the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Coaches poll released Tuesday, while a pair of top-five upsets reshaped the pack behind them.

The weekly poll does not determine NCAA Division I tournament selections. It reflects participating coaches’ views, unlike the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which ranks teams by wins, losses and strength of schedule.

The unbeaten Wildcats remained No. 1, and 11-0 Maryland stayed No. 2. Duke held at No. 3, while UConn’s surge carried the Huskies into the No. 4 spot.

UConn claimed the weekend’s biggest result, handing then-No. 3 Massachusetts its first loss in a 2-1 shootout thriller Sunday. The teams were tied 1-1 through regulation and two overtime periods before the Huskies prevailed in an eight-round shootout.

That victory lifted UConn three places from No. 7, while UMass slipped two spots to No. 5.

Harvard supplied the other top-five reshuffle with a 2-1 win over then-No. 5 Wake Forest.

The Crimson improved to 8-1 and climbed one rung to No. 7, while Wake Forest fell three places to No. 8. North Carolina also jumped three spots to No. 9 after a 3-0 win at Louisville, continuing a three-game winning streak and has regained their footing in top 10.

No team climbed faster than California. The Golden Bears vaulted six places, from No. 20 to No. 14, after beating Virginia 2-1. UConn and North Carolina shared the next-largest gains at three spots apiece, while Indiana and Miami each moved up one position, to 12 and 13 respectively.

Virginia and Michigan absorbed the steepest drops, each tumbling four places. The Cavaliers landed at No. 15 after the loss to Cal, and Michigan fell to No. 19 after a 6-1 defeat to Northwestern. Syracuse slid two spots to No. 11, Lafayette dipped one to No. 20, and the rest of the top 20 held steady as the season moved deeper into conference play.

According to the NFHCA, “the poll is intended to provide a weekly snapshot of the nation’s top-performing programs based on results, strength of competition, and insight from the sport’s coaching community. Beginning after the second week of regular-season competition, teams must maintain a .500 record or better to be eligible for ranking consideration.  

“These rankings reflect the collective assessment of the designated voting coaches each week and are designed to spotlight performance on a national scale. The Coaches Polls are independent of the NCAA Championship selection process and are not intended to predict or determine postseason qualification or seeding.”  

Here are the DI college field hockey teams with the most votes in the NFHCA week five coaches poll: 

20. Lafayette, 9-2 (19) 

19. Michigan, 5-5 (15) 

18. Monmouth, 8-2 (18) 

17. Liberty, 7-4 (17) 

16. Louisville, 8-4 (16)  

15. Virginia, 6-4 (11)  

14. California, 7-3 (20) 

13. Miami, 7-4 (14)  

12. Indiana, 8-3, (13)  

11. Syracuse, 6-3, (9) 

10. Princeton, 6-4 (10) 

9. North Carolina, 6-4 (12) 

8. Wake Forest, 7-4 (5) 

7. Harvard, 8-1 (8)  

6. Iowa, 11-1 (6) 

5. Massachusetts, 11-1 (3) 

4. Connecticut, 9-1 (7) 

3. Duke, 9-2 (3) 

2. Maryland, 11-0 (2) 

1. Northwestern, 12-0 (1) 

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