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LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College is picked to finish fifth in the 2003 Centennial Conference Field Hockey Championship race according to a poll of the Conference's head coaches. Last season, F&M finished with a 10-8 overall record and 6-3 in the Centennial Conference to qualify for the postseason tournament as the number four seed. In the playoffs, F&M fell by a 1-0 final to top seed McDaniel College to conclude the first winning season in program history since the 1992 team went 13-6. The playoff berth marked the second in as many years for F&M as the Diplomats earned the #2 seed for the four team playoffs in 2001. Leading the charge for the Diplomats' first Centennial Conference title in field hockey will be 2002 All-Centennial Conference first team defender Lindsay Mohr (Jr., Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) who netted seven points on two goals and three assists last season. Along with Mohr, defenders Erin Benjamin (Jr., Mt. Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley) and Brynn Jackowski (Jr., Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) will secure a line that contributed to seven defensive shutouts in 2002. On the offensive end of the field, 2002 Centennial Conference honorable mention forward Brittany Croll (So., Frankford, DE/Indian River) returns to lead the attack following a team high 17 points season, including tying Jen Hespell '03 for the team lead in goals with seven. Another player to watch will be forward Eileen Keever (So., Prospect Park, PA/Interboro) who added four goals and one assist last season for nine total points. McDaniel College is the favorite to claim its second Conference title in 2003 as the preseason favorite in the poll. The Green Terror received three out of a possible 10 first-place votes (teams not permitted to vote for themselves) for 91 points. McDaniel finished the 2002 season at 19-4 overall and 7-2 in the Conference. Johns Hopkins and Ursinus are tied as the second pick with three first-place votes each and 86 points apiece. Hopkins will be in the hunt for its fourth Centennial title, while Ursinus will look for its first. Ursinus, formerly a Division I program, was granted Division III status and is now eligible to compete for the Conference title and the automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. The Bears completed the 2002
season at 12-4 overall. Washington was fourth with 74 points, while Gettysburg followed behind F&M in sixth place with 51 points. Muhlenberg (46), Swarthmore (36), Dickinson (34), Haverford (24) and Bryn Mawr (10) rounded out the poll. Centennial Conference Preseason Field Hockey Poll
1. McDaniel (3) 91
T2. Johns Hopkins (3) 86
T2. Ursinus (3) 86
4 Washingon (2) 74
5. Franklin & Marshall 67
6. Gettysburg 51
7. Muhlenberg 46
8. Swarthmore 36
9. Dickinson 34
10. Haverford 24
11. Bryn Mawr 10
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