W&L FIELD HOCKEY CHOSEN SECOND IN ODAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL

SALEM, Va. -- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) released its field hockey preseason coaches poll on Thursday and Washington and Lee was picked second among the conference's nine teams.

In a close battle for the first-place nod, W&L received three first place votes, while Virginia Wesleyan edged out the Generals with five first-place votes to take the top spot. Lynchburg rounded out the top three by earning one first-place vote.

The Generals, led by 2005 ODAC and State Coach of the Year Wendy Orrison, return four All-ODAC selections in 2006, including First Team All-ODAC and All-State selection junior midfielder Kendall Korte (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox), Second-Team All-ODAC and All-State pick senior defender Rebecca Hatchett (Newport News, Va./Hampton Roads) and sophomore Liz Garson (Richmond, Va./Collegiate), the 2005 ODAC Rookie of the Year.

Last year, the Generals, in just their sixth season as a varsity program, claimed their first ODAC Championship, first berth to the NCAA Tournament and set a school record for wins in a season (15-6, 7-1 ODAC).

W&L opens the 2006 season against Rhodes at Centre College in Danville, Ky., on Sat. Sept. 9 at noon.

2006 ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll

1. Virginia Wesleyan (5)
2. Washington and Lee (3)
3. Lynchburg (1)
4. Randolph-Macon
5. Eastern Mennonite
6. Bridgewater
7. Roanoke
8. Sweet Briar
9. Randolph-Macon Woman's

-- GENERALS --