Women's Basketball Picked 13th in Northeast-10 Preseason Poll

EASTON, MA – Merrimack College has been selected to finish 13th in the 2009-10 Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball preseason coaches’ poll, it was announced on Tuesday.

While the Warriors collected 57 points in the voting, Stonehill College has been selected to claim the Northeast-10 women’s basketball regular season title this season as voted by the conference’s head coaches.

Reigning regular season and tournament champion, Franklin Pierce, was picked to finish third with three first place vote and 201 total points.

Head Coach Helen Williams will lead the Warriors in Conference play on November 18 when Merrimack hosts Bentley University at 7:30pm at the Volpe Gym.  They open the season at non-conference Dowling College on November 15 at 4:00pm. 

The Northeast-10 Championship begins on Saturday, February 27 with first round action and will conclude on Saturday, March 6 with the championship final.

2009-10 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

                                                    Overall/Conf.
Team ----------------------- Points  08-09 Record
1. Stonehill (11) ----------- 219      22-9/15-7
2. Bentley (2) -------------- 206      21-12/15-7
3. Franklin Pierce (3) ----- 201      29-6/18-4
4. Pace ---------------------- 172     18-11/13-9
5. Assumption ------------- 163     15-13/13-9
6. So. New Hampshire --- 152     18-11/12-10
7. American Int’l ----------- 144    21-13/14-8
8. Le Moyne ---------------- 113   15-13/12-10
9. New Haven -------------- 112   16-13/10-12
10. Saint Rose ------------- 100    20-11/13-9
11. Saint Michael’s -------- 91     14-13/11-11
12. UMass Lowell --------- 68        8-19/5-17
13. Merrimack ---------- 57      9-19/8-14
14. So. Connecticut ------- 52       7-20/4-18
15. Adelphi ----------------- 41      13-15/10-8*
(First place votes in parentheses.)
* Member of the East Coast Conference in 2008