UofL Sports

The University of Louisville’s Lauren Schaefer and Nicole Youman were unanimous selections to the 2008 BIG EAST Preseason Field Hockey team and the Cardinals were picked to finish third in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches.

The defending BIG EAST field hockey champion Connecticut Huskies were selected by the conference coaches to win the BIG EAST regular season crown in 2008, receiving six of the seven first-place votes. Syracuse, who finished tied for fourth last season, was chosen to place second - just ahead of Louisville - with 27 points, including one first place selection.

Senior Lauren Schaefer and sophomore Nicole Youman were both unanimous selections to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team. Last season, Schaefer was named to the All-BIG EAST second team and was BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24. Youman was named to the All-BIG EAST first team and was a NFHCA All-West Region selection in 2007.

Louisville (14-6, 5-1 BIG EAST) received 26 points to place third in the preseason poll. The Cardinals finished last season as regular season co-champs, but fell to Providence 2-0 in the BIG EAST Championship semifinals. U of L returns 13 letterwinners and five starters from last season’s team.

The Cardinals will take the field for a preseason tune-up against the alumni on Saturday, August 16 at 7 p.m. at Trager Stadium.

The BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship will take place on Nov. 8 and 9.

The University of Connecticut will host the four-team event, seeded by conference point total. The champion will receive the leagues’

automatic berth in the 16-team NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship.

BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll (1st place votes) - points

1. Connecticut (6) - 36

2. Syracuse (1) - 27

3. Louisville - 26

4. Providence - 25

5. Villanova - 16

6. Rutgers - 11

7. Georgetown - 6

For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.bigeast.org.