Empire 8 Release

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (August 27, 2014) – Stevens Institute of Technology was picked to finish second in the 2014 Empire 8 Preseason Field Hockey Poll, it was announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Ducks are coming off a strong 2013 season in which they won the conference's regular-season title and reached the semifinals of the Empire 8 Tournament. It was the seventh-straight season the Ducks made an appearance in the postseason and eighth-straight campaign with at least 10 victories.
 
Defending conference champion Utica College was picked first in the poll with eight first-place votes and a total of 64 points. Stevens was second with 55 points and St. John Fisher College was third (47). Ithaca College (42), Washington & Jefferson College (36) and Hartwick College (27) round out the top-six with Nazareth College, Houghton College and Elmira College taking spots seven, eight and nine.
 
Stevens was 8-0 in conference contests in 2013 and finished with an overall record of 14-8. The Ducks outscored opponents by a total of 21 tallies (76-55) and ripped 200 more shots (491-291). They also were plus-144 in penalty corners taken, creating 43 more fouls than the opposition.
 
Over the last six years, Stevens has won three conference titles, five regular-season championships and hosted four Empire 8 Tournaments.
 
The Ducks open 2014 play Friday at No. 11 The College of New Jersey. The first Empire 8 match will be at Fisher on September 13, and the Ducks' E8 home-opener will be September 20 against Houghton.
 
Check back Thursday for the complete season preview.