Field Hockey picked 1st in Preseason Poll, Hammel named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

By: Greg Levinsky

Defending Patriot League champion Boston University field hockey was selected first in the Preseason Poll, with senior back Ally Hammel selected as the conference’s preseason Player of the Year, as announced by the league office on Monday.

Including playoffs, the Terriers went 8-0 in Patriot League play a season ago. They outscored opponents 33-5 in conference games, but saw their season come a to close with a 3-1 loss to eventual national champion Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament.

BU earned eight first-place votes in the 2018 Preseason Poll, and were picked just ahead of American who earned six first-place votes.

Hammel earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, and also earned NFHCA First-Team All American and Northeast Region Player of the Year honors in her junior campaign. She helped the Terriers lead the nation with a minuscule 1.18 goals against average.

Senior Allie Doggett, junior Kiley Gallagher and sophomore Ailsa Connolly join Hammel on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team as part of the Terriers league leading four selections.

Connolly lead the Terriers with 11 goals, and Gallagher had a hand in both goals of the 2017 Patriot League Tournament clincher. Doggett was a unanimous all-league pick last year.

The Terriers open up their 2018 slate at New Hampshire’s Wildcat Classic with a 3:00 p.m. game on Friday, August 24 against Northeastern.