The Ohio women's field hockey team has been picked by a preseason MAC coaches' poll to finish out the year in third place.
This is the second consecutive year the team has been ranked third in a preseason poll. Last year's team (5-5 in the MAC, 10-9 overall) made it to the championship game and finished second in the tournament.
"I kinda wanted to be second (this year) to be quite honest," said Shelly Morris, head field hockey coach. "I think it's respectable based on where everybody finished last year. It was a pretty tight race and I think it's going to be a pretty tight race again this year."
Morris said the team's strengths are offense and its ability to score goals. But she also said the team would have to work on its defense.
"We have to become better defensively this year than we were last year," Morris said. "If we fix a few things we can turn (our losses) into wins."
Morris said the team's strongest players are seniors Amanda Freeman and Elizabeth Holtzman. Freeman was selected to the All-MAC second team for her defensive game, and Holtzman scored the game-winning goal against Ball State in the 2002 quarterfinals. Morris said she hopes the two will emerge as leaders when the team begins practicing today.
Morris also said the team's biggest competition this year will be Louisville.
"We knocked off Louisville in overtime to go to the championship game last year, and I know that they're out for revenge," she said.
Morris also named Kent State, Central Michigan and Northeastern as difficult teams to play.
"It's a strong schedule," Morris said. "It's going to be challenging -- there are lots of ranked teams."
Morris said overall, she expects the team to do very well in the 2003 field hockey season.
"I think it's going to be exciting, and I think a lot can happen," Morris said. "I think people are going to underestimate us, and it's going to be interesting to see what the Bobcats can do and how we come together as a team."
Ohio opens its season 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 at Boston College.
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