SJU HAWKS RANKED 20TH IN NFHCA FIELD HOCKEY COACHES POLL

CHANDLER, Ariz. – On the back of a five-game winning streak and the program’s first Atlantic 10 regular season championship in 21 years, the Saint Joseph’s field hockey team is ranked 20^th in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll released on November 1.

The Hawks have won eight of their last nine and on Saturday completed their first undefeated conference season since 1995, when SJU won both the Atlantic 10 regular season and conference titles.

Saint Joseph’s is tied for the 20^th spot with James Madison.  Duke remains atop the poll, while two previous Hawk opponents, Maryland and Albany, are ranked third and 17^th, respectively.

In Tuesday’s NCAA RPI release, the Hawks maintained their previous ranking of 19th from a week ago.  SJU is the highest-rated team in the Atlantic 10, one spot ahead of 20th-ranked Massachusetts.

Saint Joseph’s will carry its newly-minted ranking into the Atlantic 10 Championship, beginning Friday, November 4, in Richmond, Virginia.  The top-seeded Hawks will take on fourth-seeded Saint Francis (Pa.) at 11:00 a.m. at VCU’s Cary Street Field.