FOREST, Va. --- Nearly everything is even following head coaches' rankings in the top-heavy ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll. The University of Lynchburg headlines the 2023 survey by the narrowest of margins.

The Hornets garnered 74 total points powered by four first place votes, but just two total points separates the top-three. Two-time reigning champs Washington and Lee University are second in the table with 73 tallies featuring a trio of top nods. Shenandoah University sits third with 72 markers and the remaining three first place votes.

In the following sections, we take a quick look back at last season and get a feel for what to expect for the upcoming field hockey campaign.

2022 ODAC TOURNAMENT

• As ODAC fans are keenly aware, there was a logjam at the top of the 2022 ODAC standings with Washington and Lee, Lynchburg, and Shenandoah each posting 7-1 league records. After tiebreakers were applied, W&L and LYN collected quarterfinal byes as the #1 and #2 seeds, respectively, with SU taking up third position.
• W&L squared off with #4 Roanoke in the semifinals after the Maroons topped #5 Bridgewater, 2-1, in the quarters; the Generals scored a 3-0 triumph over RC to reach their third straight ODAC final.
• Lynchburg met Shenandoah in the semifinals following the northern Hornets 3-1 victory over #6 Randolph-Macon in the quarterfinals; Lynchburg secured a 3-1 win over SU in the semifinals to setup a third straight meeting with W&L in the final and their sixth straight trip to the league title game.
• Possession and offensive pressure was largely in W&L's favor throughout the contest, but Lynchburg's defense was equal to the task with keeper Kayla Brady registering 10 saves.
• One of Brady's stops came in overtime following a scoreless 60 minutes of regulation.
• The extra period lasted just 1:07 as Peyton Tysinger recorded the winning goal of an assist from Freddie Tobeason.
• The Generals have won four ODAC titles overall and three in the past six seasons.

2022 NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT | Bracket

• Washington and Lee was the lone squad to represent the ODAC in the NCAA Division III Tournament, their fourth appearance in the D-III bracket.
• The Generals were selected to host a midweek first-round match against Ohio Wesleyan University.
• W&L dominated the Battling Bishops, out-shooting the NCAC champions, 18-4, on the way the way to 3-0 shutout.
• In round two, 13th-ranked W&L traveled to Salisbury University to square off with eighth-ranked Williams College.
• The Ephs turned the table on the Generals, posting a 3-0 win to end W&L's campaign.

THE NATIONAL SCENE ENTERING 2023

• The National Field Hockey Coaches Association will be releasing its preseason Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll (top-20) on Tuesday, August 29.
• Barring any changes, the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket will feature 26 schools; 17 will qualify by automatic bid from their conferences in "Pool A," with one spot reserved for "Pool B" as independents or those in conference's that do not qualify for an automatic berth; the remaining eight squads will be chosen at-large from by the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Committee from "Pool C," which includes all remaining teams not entered by Pool A or B processes.

RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS
The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for each category from the 2022-23 season.
Save Pct./GAA Minimums | 33% of team goalkeeper minutes played

• Points -- 63 - Mairead McKibbin, SU | 37 - Cassidy Morrison, SU | 35 - Marlou Wendriks, LYN
• Goals -- 27 - Mairead McKibbin, SU | 16 - Marlou Wendriks, LYN | 15 - Cassidy Morrison, SU
• Assists -- 12 - Farren Winter, SU | 9 - Mairead McKibbin and Madison Short, SU
• Shots -- 87 - Mairead McKibbin, SU | 81 - Marlou Wendriks, LYN | 80 - Farren Winter, SU
• Defensive Saves -- 7 - Cassidy Armstrong, EMU | 4 - Meredyth Rankin, BC | 3 - Anna Scheir, RMC, and Joy Ramsey, VWU
• GK Minutes Played -- 1,145:16 - Kayla Brady, LYN | 1,095:15 - Taylor Swann, SU | 1,082:32 - Madison Wingerter, RC
• GK Saves -- 165 - Emma Wehr, VWU | 88 - Kayla Brady, LYN | 72 - Kelsey Seiler, RMC
• Save Pct. -- .807 - Kayla Brady, LYN | .720 - Kelsey Seiler, RMC | .718 - Madison Wingerter, RC
• Goals Against Avg. -- 1.100 - Kayla Brady, LYN | 1.195 - Abby Long, W&L | 1.260 - Taylor Swann, SU
• Shutouts -- 8 - Madison Wingerter, RC | 6 - Taylor Swann, SU | 4 - Kelsey Seiler, RMC, and Abby Long, W&L

RETURNING ALL-ODAC TALENT | 2022 ALL-ODAC FIELD HOCKEY AWARDS
The 2023 season is chock full of returning talent with 25-of-40 All-ODAC honorees from last season appearing on league rosters. One of the 15 missing is 2021 ODAC Player of the Year, Tess Muneses from Washington and Lee. The former Generals midfielder was recently named the Region VI Student-Athlete of the Year by the Division III Commissioners Association, an honor that combines athletic prowess with academic success and civic/leadership contributions.

Lynchburg and Shenandoah lead the way with seven all-conference players back in action. SU features both forward Mairead McKibbin and defender Elise Velasquez, who were named ODAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in 2022. Reigning ODAC Coach of the Year Gina Wills benefits from the return of three All-ODAC honorees to her Generals roster including last year's ODAC Rookie of the Year, forward Betty Boatwright.

Listed below are the All-ODAC players from 2022 back to another run in 2023.

   FORWARDS

• Mairead McKibbin -- Shenandoah (1st Team, O-POY)
• Cassidy Morrison -- Shenandoah (1st Team)
• Alaina McCoy -- Randolph-Macon (2nd Team)
• Grace Vernarelli -- Roanoke (2nd Team)
• Betty Boatwright -- Washington and Lee (2nd Team, ROY)
• Emily Tyler -- Bridgewater (3rd Team)
• Elizabeth Longacre -- Eastern Mennonite (3rd Team)
• Marlou Wendriks -- Lynchburg (3rd Team)

   MIDFIELDERS

• Daphne Daymude -- Bridgewater (2nd Team)
• Kessa Romero -- Lynchburg (2nd Team)
• Farren Winter -- Shenandoah (2nd Team)
• Mallory Lamb -- Lynchburg (3rd Team)
• Anna Stribling -- Randolph-Macon (3rd Team)
• Claudia Lenahan -- Shenandoah (3rd Team)
• Maddy Duggleby -- Washington and Lee (3rd Team)

   DEFENDERS

• Aaryn Boatwright -- Lynchburg (1st Team)
• Ryleigh Cameron -- Lynchburg (1st Team)
• Elise Velasquez -- Shenandoah (1st Team - D-POY)
• Jenny Lerner -- Washington and Lee (1st Team)
• Meredyth Rankin -- Bridgewater (2nd Team)
• Hope Keller -- Roanoke (2nd Team)
• Olivia Muir -- Lynchburg (3rd Team)
• Madison Short -- Shenandoah (3rd Team)

   GOALKEEPERS

• Kayla Brady -- Lynchburg (1st Team)
• Taylor Swann -- Shenandoah (2nd Team)

WELCOME BACK TO THE ODAC!
After two seasons away from the conference, Sweet Briar College returns to the ODAC's field hockey ranks under head coach Hannah Lott, who enters her 10th season guiding the Vixens program. She was named Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Coach of the Year in 2021 after leading the SBC to their best record (13-7) since 2000.

The Vixens feature five returning All-CSAC honorees from 2022 led by first team selections Bryanna Hughes (F) and Avery Jones (M). Molly Booth (F/M), Jolin Doughety (F), and Lara Jost (D) were honorable mention choices.

ODAC HEAD COACHES
The ODAC features some of the best coaches in the business led by Lynchburg's Enza Steele, who announced last year that 2023 would mark the final year of her career. This season will be her 45th with 645 career wins under belt. She is second in among active coaches and fourth all-time in career wins for all divisions of the NCAA. Her .723 winning percentage is 13th among active coaches -- right behind W&L's Gina Wills (.727) and 28th all-time.

The ODAC features one new head coach in 2023. Tina Kishorn takes over Eastern Mennonite's program on an interim basis after Ashley Kishorn stepped down after guiding the program for six seasons.

• Gina Stephan (BC) -- Overall: 12-22-0 (.353)/2 | at BC: 12-22-0 (.353)/2
• Tina Kishorn (EMU) -- 1st Season (interim)
• Chardonnay Hope (FC) -- Overall: 4-13-0 (.234)/1 | at FC: 4-13-0 (.234)/1
• Enza Steele (LYN) -- Overall: 645-244-11 (.723)/44 | at LYN: 645-244-11 (.723)/44
  • 13x ODAC Coach of the Year: 1982, 84, 88-89, 2000, 04, 06, 08-09, 11, 18-19, 21 (spring)
• Jessica Weiss (R-MC) -- Overall: 46-71-0 (.393)/7 | at R-MC: 46-71-0 (.393)/7
• Briana Banks (RC) -- Overall: 112-111-0 (.502)/13 | at RC: 112-111-0 (.502)/13
• Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft (SU) -- Overall: 126-61-0 (.674)/10 | at SU: 126-61-0 (.674)/10
  • 2x ODAC Coach of the Year: 2013, 16
• Ryley van der Velde (VWU) -- Overall: 3-13-0 (.188)/1 | at VWU: 3-13-0 (.188)/1
• Gina Wills (W&L) -- Overall: 221-83-0 (.727)/16 | at W&L: 100-43-0 (.699)/8
  • 4x ODAC Coach of the Year: 2015, 17, 21-22

THE SCHEDULE AND TOURNAMENT

• The 10-team ODAC contingent will play a full nine-game single round-robin schedule in addition to each school's non-league slate.
• The top six teams in the ODAC standings from conference play will qualify for the ODAC Field Hockey Tournament; the winner of the tournament will earn the conference's automatic entry to the NCAA postseason.
• The 2023 ODAC Field Hockey Tournament Schedule features:
  • Quarterfinals: Tuesday, October 31 at the #3-4 Seeds
  • Semifinals: Thursday, November 2 at the #1-2 Seeds
  • Championship: Saturday, November 4 at the highest remaining seed
  • All game times are TBD
• The NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament field will be finalized on Sunday, November 5, with announcement on NCAA.com either late that night or the following Monday.

Listed below is the 2023 ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll. For more information on ODAC field hockey, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.
 

2023 ODAC FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL (#) denotes 1st place votes
1	University of Lynchburg (4)	74 pts.
2	Washington and Lee University (3)	73 pts.
3	Shenandoah University (3)	72 pts.
4	Roanoke College	56 pts.
5	Randolph-Macon College	49 pts.
6	Bridgewater College	40 pts.
7	Sweet Briar College	27 pts.
8	Eastern Mennonite University	25 pts.
9	Virginia Wesleyan University	23 pts.
10	Ferrum College	11 pts.