Field Hockey Team Ranked 2nd in Country After Defeating Top 10-ranked Foes

Old Dominion University's field hockey squad is ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The Lady Monarchs achieved the ranking after a stunning start to their season, knocking off Top 10-ranked opponents in four consecutive games, including a win over No. 1 Maryland.

In the Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, released Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Lady Monarchs received 587 points and 14 of the 31 first-place votes. North Carolina (3-0) is currently No. 1 with 603 points and 17 first-place votes. Defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Maryland fell to third in the polls after losing 4-0 at ODU on Friday, Sept. 2.

Old Dominion is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 1999 season. The Lady Monarchs defeated No. 8 Penn State (5-2) and No. 10 American (4-1) in Charlottesville during the season's opening week, and then followed that with a pair of home wins against Maryland (4-1) and No. 3 Virginia (4-1) this past weekend.

The Lady Monarchs next travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Buckeye Classic. ODU will take on No. 5 Syracuse on Saturday and then face Ohio State on Sunday. Both games are scheduled for 2 p.m.

The next regular-season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 13.