Little East Conference

LEICESTER, Mass. - Westfield State senior forward Amanda Burns (Hillsdale, N.Y.) tallied three goals and senior midfielder Alicia Gardner (Athol, Mass.) set the school career assists record to lead the Westfield State University to a 6-3 win over Becker College in the field hockey season opener Sept. 1.

The Owls tallied three minutes into the game when Gardner fired a rocket from the top of the of the circle past Gosselin for the quick 1-0 lead. Westfield doubled the score at 7:01 when Burns had a fine tip-in from a cross from Gardner. It was Gardner's school record 24th career assist; she entered the season tied for the top spot with Kate Anderson (2003-2006).
 

PROVIDENCE, R.I.— Rhode Island College has hired John Cabral to the position of assistant sports information director. Cabral’s responsibilities will include varied forms of content creation for GoAnchormen.com, the official website of Rhode Island College Athletics, and will also provide play-by-play commentary of Anchormen athletic contests.

Cabral joins a sports information office already vigorously preparing for the fall season, which officially begins Wednesday when women’s tennis and men’s soccer each debut with home contests at Rhode Island College. Cabral will call all the action on GoAnchormen.com when the RIC men’s soccer team squares off against Coast Guard on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Boston has been predicted to repeat as the Little East volleyball regular-season champions after a vote by the eight conference coaches’ to determine the annual preseason poll. The Beacons sit atop the preseason survey for the second-straight season after earning seven of the eight first-place votes and 62 total points. 

Western Connecticut State University was the clear consensus choice to finish second after receiving six second-place votes and 53 total points to outdistance themselves from No. 3 Keene State College.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – For the first time in program history, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has been projected to win the Little East field hockey regular-season championship outright, according the 2010 preseason coaches’ poll. The Corsairs received nine of the 12 first-place votes and 140 total points to snap No. 2 Keene State College’s five-year strangle hold as the preseason favorite. UMass Dartmouth and the Owls shared the top position in the 2007 preseason survey.

Keene State College and Framingham State University were the only two other teams to eclipse the 100-point barrier in the annual poll.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Eastern Connecticut State University and Keene State College have been predicted to share the Little East women’s soccer regular-season championship, according to the 2010 preseason coaches’ poll. The Warriors and Owls each earned 58 total points, but Keene State received the majority of first-place votes with four.

Western Connecticut State University garnered the final two first-place votes to enter the preseason rankings in the third position with 49 points.