GORHAM, Maine – Receiving one first place vote and 40 points, the University of Southern Maine Huskies' field hockey team was picked to finish third in the 2026 Little East Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Eastern Connecticut State sits atop the preseason poll with four first place votes and 45 points, followed closely by Keene State College with 44 points and three first place votes.
Returning to Hannaford Field last week for the start of preseason, the Huskies open their 2026 campaign on the road at the University of New England on Tuesday, September 1 (5:30 pm). The Huskies host University of Hartford on Saturday, September 5 (2:00 pm) in its home opener. The Huskies will face Eastern Connecticut State on the road on Saturday, October 3 (12:00 pm) in their conference opener.
Led by veteran head coach Bonny Brown Denico '91, '98, Southern Maine returns a solid core from 2025, including all-conference performers
Bri Townsend (Newport, Maine/Nokomis),
Dylan Barr (Phippsburg, Maine/Morse) and 2025 Rookie of the Year
Maddie Niles (Benton, Maine/Lawrence). The Huskies also return key contributors
Leah Thibodeau (Auburn, Maine/Edward Little) and Julie Elie (Dayton, Maine/Thornton Academy), and welcome back 2024 all-conference defender Jenessa Foster (Pittsfield, Maine/Maine Central Institute).
The fifth Husky in program history to earn LEC Rookie of the Year honors, Niles joins an elite group of standout student-athletes. Making an immediate impact on the Huskies' offense in her first season in Gorham, Niles played and started in all 22 of the Huskies games, and was second on the team in scoring with eight goals and four assists for 20 points. Named the LEC Rookie of the Week four times in 2025, Niles scored five of her eight goals against Little East Conference opponents.
A tireless worker in the midfield for the Huskies, Barr earned post-season honors for the first time in her career in 2025. Barr had one goal and three assists for five points in 2025. Playing and starting in all 22 of the Huskies games, Barr recorded her lone goal of the season in a 2-1 road win at Wheaton College.
Earning first team all-conference honors, Townsend made an immediate impact offensively leading the Huskies with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points. Six of Townsend's 12 goals were game-winners – the second highest in the Little East. Townsend scored Southern Maine's game-winning goal in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Plymouth State during the LEC Championship Tournament.
| 2026 Little East Conference Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll (FPV) |
| 1. |
Eastern Connecticut |
45 points |
(4) |
| 2. |
Keene State |
44 points |
(3) |
| 3. |
Southern Maine |
40 points |
(1) |
| 4 |
VTSU Castleton |
28 points |
|
| 5. |
Western Connecticut |
25 points |
|
| 6. |
Plymouth State |
21 points |
|
| 7. |
UMass Dartmouth |
12 points |
|
| 8. |
UMass Boston |
9 points |
|
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