NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.  - Keene State College has been chosen to capture the 2008 Little East Conference Field Hockey Regular Season Championship in a preseason vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The Owls have raised the championship trophy the past four seasons, earning the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Div. III Tournament each year.

Keene State received eight of the 12 first place votes and totaled 139 points, the second highest preseason point total in the past eight rankings (2006; 140), to earn at least a share of the top billing in the past four coaches' polls. The University of Southern Maine, the 2007 Little East Conference Championship Tournament finalist, enter the season seeded second after receiving a first place tally and 126 points. Plymouth State University (104) and Bridgewater State College (101) each surpassed the century mark in total points.

Under the watchful eye of Head Coach Amy Watson, Keene State has dominated the conference circuit over the past five campaigns, capturing five regular season titles in addition to the four conference tournament championships. During the Owls' current reign, Watson has led her Owls to a 49-4 mark (.925) in the league, averaging nearly 10 wins per season in an 11-game schedule. In 2007, Keene State posted its sixth straight season with at least 14 victories, boasting an overall record of 18-6 and 10-1 mark in the Little East. The Owls welcome back 16 letter winners and seven starters from last Fall, including a pair of All-Americans. Junior Erin Dallas (Keene, N.H.), who shared the conference's top offensive award after registering 45 points (13-19), will patrol the midfield, while senior Alyssa Rowell (Queensbury, N.Y.), the 2007 Little East Defensive Player of the Year, will anchor a traditionally strong defensive third unit. Keene State will begin its quest at Rensselaer on Aug. 30.   

Bonny Brown-Denico, the 2007 Little East Coach of the Year, led the University of Southern Maine to its first postseason invitation since 2003, earning the top-seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Div. III New England Tournament. The Huskies posted a 15-8 mark last season, including a 9-2 record in the conference circuit. Brown-Denico guided her squad into the championship game of the Little East Championship Tournament before being edged by Keene State in overtime, 2-1. Southern Maine returns 12 letter winners and six starters from 2007, including first-team all-conference goalkeeper Allison Hill (Cape Elizabeth, Maine). Hill ranked among the conference leaders in saves (2nd, 150), shutouts (3rd, 3), and goals against average (6th, 1.49). The Huskies will open their schedule at Colby College on Sept. 6 at 11 a.m.   

Plymouth State University made its seventh postseason appearance in the past eight years last season, earning an invitation to the ECAC Div. III New England Tournament. Under the leadership of Head Coach Bonnie Lord, the Panthers upset the top-seeded Huskies in the quarterfinal round before bowing out in the semifinals. Last season, Plymouth State posted a 10-11 overall record and finished third in the regular season standings with an 8-3 conference mark. Lord will welcome back a strong core of season-veterans-11 letter winners and seven starters-as well as a talented group of newcomers to continue building off last season's playoff momentum.  Plymouth State will travel to Endicott at 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 to open the 2008 slate.

Bridgewater State College won the 2007 ECAC Div. III New England Tournament to cap the program's most successful season. Head Coach Erika Smith led the Bears to an overall record of 16-6, marking the most single-season wins in the program's history. Bridgewater State posted its third straight shutout of the regional tournament in the finals, edging St. Joseph's (Maine), 1-0. Smith will welcome 15 letter winners and five starters back into the fold from last year's squad. The Bears will travel to Babson College at 6 p.m. on Sept. 4 to open the 2008 campaign.

The top-eight teams in the final regular seasons standings qualify for the 2008 Little East Championship Tournament with the first four seeds hosting quarterfinal round action on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The semifinals will take place two days later with the winners advancing to the championship round on Saturday, Nov. 8. The tournament champion will advance to the NCAA Div. III Tournament as the Little East automatic qualifier.   

Completing the preseason poll in projected order of finish are Worcester State College (87), Westfield State College (81), Framingham State College (76), Salem State College (71), University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (59), Eastern Connecticut State University (39), Fitchburg State College (27), and Western Connecticut State University (26).

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