Monmouth Field Hockey Selected as MAAC Preseason Favorite, Hawks’ van der Hoop and Garden Bachop named Co-Player of the Year
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced today that Monmouth University is the 2018 Field Hockey Preseason favorite, based on a vote by the league’s six head coaches. Monmouth’s Georgia Garden Bachop and Josephine van der Hoop split the honor as MAAC Field Hockey Player of the Year, both received two of six possible votes from our leagues head coaches.
The Hawks (15-4, 5-1) split first-place votes with the defending MAAC Champions Fairfield University (9-12, 4-2) edging out the Stags by one total vote. Monmouth led the MAAC in goals (85), assists (67), and points (237) in 2017 rewriting the MAAC record books breaking the MAAC all-time single-season records in all three categories.
Co-Player of the Year, Garden Bachop and van der Hoop both put up impressive offensive numbers for the MAAC Regular Season Champion Hawks last season. van der Hoop was third in the MAAC with 31 points and second with 13 goals. Garden Bachop ranked fifth in the MAAC during 2017 with 24 points and third in goals with 10. Both made the 2017 All-MAAC Team and van der Hoop was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. The only MAAC duo to outscore the two were teammates Julie Laszlo and Kelly Hanna who were named to the 2017 All-MAAC Team and Hanna 2018 All-MAAC..
Fairfield claimed the 2017 MAAC Field Hockey Championship for the second time in three years defeating Monmouth, 2-1. The Stags were second in the MAAC last season in shots (296), assists (32), and third in goals (37).
Bryant University (3-16, 1-5) tallied 18 votes to edge out Rider University (8-11, 3-3) for third by one vote. Sacred Heart University (7-12, 3-3) was selected to the No. 5 spot with 15 votes and LIU Brooklyn (4-14, 4-2) rounded out the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 11 total votes.
The 2018 Preseason All-MAAC Team is made up of Bryant’s Victoria Newbill and Monmouth’s Josephine van der Hoop and Kelly Hanna at forward. At midfielder, Georgia Garden Bachop of Monmouth and Jessica Randazzo of Rider all make the list.
At defender, LIU Brooklyn’s Haley Ballard, Sacred Heart’s Bridget Lariccia, Rider’s Alison Amen and Fairfield’s Corinne Persichetti are represented. Rider’s Lena Vandam earns Preseason All-MAAC Goalkeeper.
The 2018 MAAC Field Hockey Championship takes place October 28-November 4 and is hosted by the highest seeded full MAAC member. For all up-to-date information regarding MAAC Field Hockey, visit
maacsports.com.
| Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| 1. |
Monmouth (3) |
33 |
| 2. |
Fairfield (3) |
32 |
| 3. |
Bryant |
18 |
| 4. |
Rider |
17 |
| 5. |
Sacred Heart |
15 |
| 6. |
LIU Brooklyn |
11 |
| Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
Josephine
van der Hoop* |
Forward |
Monmouth |
| Kelly Hanna |
Forward |
Monmouth |
| Victoria Newbill |
Forward |
Bryant |
| Georgia Garden Bachop |
Midfield |
Monmouth |
| Jessica Randazzo |
Midfield |
Rider |
| Kaitlyn Flemming |
Midfield |
Rider |
| Alison Amen |
Defender |
Rider |
| Haley Ballard |
Defender |
LIU Brooklyn |
| Bridget Lariccia |
Defender |
Sacred Heart |
| Corinne Persichetti |
Defender |
Fairfield |
| Lena Vandam |
Goalkeeper |
Rider |
* = unanimous
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Josephine van der Hoop |
Forward |
Monmouth |
| Georgia Garden Bachop |
Midfield |
Monmouth |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.