South Easton, Mass. – Defending regular season and tournament champion Le Moyne College is the pre-season favorite for the Northeast-10 Softball Championship according to this season’s coaches’ poll.
The Dolphins earned 10 of 15 first place votes and 218 points overall, edging second place University of Massachusetts Lowell, which earned 191 points and one first place vote.
Bryant University was picked third with 187 points and one first place vote, while Pace University, with 126 points and two first place votes, and Merrimack College, with 170 points and one first place vote, rounded out the top five.
Le Moyne won its first NE-10 tournament championship last season, edging Merrimack for the title and won their second straight regular season crown. Le Moyne, Merrimack and Bryant later advanced to the NCAA Northeast Regional Tournament.
American International College, Southern New Hampshire University, Saint Anselm College, Saint Michael’s College, Assumption College, Bentley College, the College of Saint Rose, Southern Connecticut State University, Stonehill College, and Franklin Pierce College rounded out the poll, respectively.
The six-team, double –elimination Northeast-10 Championship Tournament takes place May 6-8.
Sponsoring 23 championship sports and 15 full-time members, the Northeast-10 is the second largest NCAA Division II athletic conference in the nation and sponsors the most championships of any Division II conference.2005 Northeast-10 Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Place Team
1. Le Moyne (10) 2. UMass Lowell (1)
3. Bryant (1)
4. Pace (2)
5. Merrimack (1)
6. American International
7. Southern New Hampshire
8. Saint Anselm
9. Saint Michael’s
10. Assumption
11. Bentley
12. Saint Rose
13. Southern Connecticut
14. Stonehill
15. Franklin Pierce
(First place votes in parentheses.)
