PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University field hockey team was picked to reach the Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament in 2026 as the league released its Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday.
 
Plymouth State earned 21 points to rank sixth in the poll, just behind WestConn (25). Eastern Connecticut was selected as the narrow preseason favorite, with the top three teams were separated by just five points. The Warriors earned four first-place votes and 45 points, followed by Keene State with 44 points and three first-place votes and Southern Maine, with 40 points and the final first-place vote.
 
VTSU Castleton (28), WestConn (25) and Plymouth State (21) rounded out the top six, with UMass Dartmouth (12) and UMass Boston (9) completing the poll.
 
Head coach Molly Bolduc enters her fourth season at the helm after guiding the Panthers to a 5-12 record last year. PSU went 1-5 in the LEC, but three of those setbacks were by just a single goal, including one in overtime.
 
Graduate forward Ellie Monahan (Watertown, Mass.) and senior midfielder Sarah Adamske (Windham, N.H.) are the top returning scorers. Each recorded 14 to rank second on the team, with Monahan leading the team with eight assists and Adamske scoring six goals. Senior Abigale Bsullak (Poland, Maine) provides additional experience in the midfield, while sophomore goalkeeper Natalie Merrick (East Longmeadow, Mass.) made 179 saves as a rookie last fall.
 
Plymouth State begins the 2026 campaign with home games against Bridgewater State (Sept. 1) and Saint Joseph's College of Maine (Sept. 3). PSU hosts Keene State on Oct. 2 to kick off the LEC schedule.