WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State field hockey team earned the top spot in the 2026 Little East Conference Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll, the LEC announced on Tuesday (Aug. 25).

Eastern earned four first-place votes and picked up 45 points, finishing one point ahead of second-place Keene State, which picked up three first-place votes.

Southern Maine (40 points) finished in third in the poll, picking up the last first-place vote. VTSU Castleton (28) was picked fourth, followed by Western Connecticut State (25), Plymouth State (21), UMass Dartmouth (12) and UMass Boston (9).

The Warriors are coming off the 2025 LEC regular season championship as Eastern finished last year with a 6-0 mark in conference play.

Eastern begins the season on the road with a game at Johnson & Wales (Providence) on Tuesday (Sept. 1). The first home game for the Warriors is on Sept. 5 against Husson at 12 p.m. LEC play begins for Eastern on Saturday (Oct. 3) against Southern Maine.

All home games for Eastern will be streamed on FloCollege.