Field Hockey – 5th | Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III Coaches Poll, Nov. 4
Salisbury (15-2) backtracked one slot in the poll, claiming fifth with 400 points to round out a top five that featured Christopher Newport (475), Johns Hopkins (456), Babson (437), and Tufts (406). SU also slotted eighth in the most recent NCAA Power Index (NPI) metrics.
The Sea Gulls closed out the regular season with a pair of resume-boosting ranked wins, topping No. 14 Rowan 2-0 at home on Wednesday and vanquishing No. 23 TCNJ 3-2 on the road on Saturday. Salisbury will enter the postseason with one of the nation's strongest defenses; the team leads NCAA Division III in shutouts per game (0.76), ranks second in goals against average (0.52), and has a plus-3.22 scoring margin that is fifth nationally.
SU will head north to New Paltz, N.Y., for its debut in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament. The top-seeded Sea Gulls will battle fourth-seeded Oneonta in the semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m., followed by a potential championship matchup against either second-seeded New Paltz or third-seeded Cortland on Saturday at 12 p.m.
The 15-2 record from the Sea Gulls in the regular season has been filled with quality opponents. The two losses both came on the road against ranked teams. The loss to No. 1 CNU came in double overtime with .3 seconds left, while the loss to No. 6 Johns Hopkins came with under a minute left in the game. In the 15 wins, five of them have come against ranked programs.
