Fairfield, Monmouth break into Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll
Content Courtesy of NFHCA
Image Courtesy of Northwestern University Athletics
GILBERT, Ariz. - September 24, 2019 - For the first time this season, Fairfield University and Monmouth University have earned a place on the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll. The Stags make their debut at 23rd while the Hawks of Monmouth debuted at 25th.
The Top Five
The University of North Carolina was voted into first place on the poll this week, trailed closely by their neighbors eight miles to the northeast, the Duke University Blue Devils. This week, the two programs share more than just an area code, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rivals also share a 7-0 record.
The University of Connecticut came in third this week, while the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia came in fourth and fifth, respectively. Each of the top-five teams will take on at least one ranked opponent in the upcoming week.
Games to Watch
The game to watch this week is between No. 1 UNC and No. 5 UVA - the two top-five teams will meet on Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET in Charlottesville in each team's second ACC game of the season.
Tuesday will feature the first of three "can't miss" non-conference games - No. 10 Princeton University will visit the No. 4 Terps for a 6:00 p.m. ET contest. Then on Sunday, No. 11 Saint Joseph's University will visit No. 17 Boston College for a noon game and No. 15 Stanford University will travel to No. 2 Duke for a 1:00 p.m. ET pushback.
| 2019 Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll - Week 3 | |||
| Rank | Institution | Points (First Place Votes) | Previous Ranking |
| 1 | University of North Carolina (7-0) | 1289 (41) | 1 |
| 2 | Duke University (7-0) | 1221 (11) | 2 |
| 3 | University of Connecticut (7-1) | 1133 | 4 |
| 4 | University of Maryland (7-1) | 1098 | 3 |
| 5 | University of Virginia (6-1) | 1018 | 5 |
| 6 | University of Louisville (6-1) | 944 | 7 |
| 7 | Northwestern University (8-2) | 875 | 11 |
| 8 | University of Iowa (5-2) | 872 | 8 |
| 9 | University of Michigan (5-2) | 836 | 9 |
| 10 | Princeton University (3-3) | 735 | 6 |
| 11 | Saint Joseph's University (6-1) | 698 | 15 |
| 12 | University of Delaware (5-1) | 683 | 10 |
| 13 | Liberty University (5-1) | 622 | 13 |
| 14 | Ohio State University (4-3) | 569 | 12 |
| 15 | Stanford University (6-3) | 525 | 16 |
| 16 | Harvard University (3-2) | 468 | 14 |
| 17 | Boston College (4-3) | 461 | 17 |
| 18 | Rutgers University (4-3) | 457 | 21 |
| 19 | Syracuse University (6-2) | 383 | 19 |
| 20 | University at Albany (5-3) | 272 | 20 |
| 21 | Wake Forest University (2-5) | 271 | 18 |
| 22 | Old Dominion University (5-2) | 206 | 22 |
| 23 | Fairfield University (7-1) | 196 | - |
| 24 | Michigan State University (5-2) | 101 | 23 |
| 25 | Monmouth University (5-3) | 85 | - |
* DI Rankings are based off NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll (Posted September 24, 2019)
Follow all NCAA Division I matches and results on the FieldTurf Scoreboard hosted by nfhca.org throughout the season.
The Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll is voted on by NFHCA member coaches and has no bearing on selection to the 2019 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.