The Saint Joseph's field hockey team was once again voted atop the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches Poll, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.  The Hawks also earned the program's highest-ever preseason ranking from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, coming in at number nine.
 
In addition, graduate student Marith Bijkerk, senior Alison Buffington, and junior Erika Culp were named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
The Hawks are the four-time reigning Atlantic 10 tournament champions and have won seven of the last eight league titles as well as seven of the last nine regular season crowns.  Saint Joseph's has also reached a league-record nine consecutive Atlantic 10 championship games since 2016.
 
A season after reaching the national championship game and being ranked third in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll of the season, the Hawks earned the program's first top-10 preseason ranking in 2025.  Saint Joseph's has now appeared in 80 of the last 83 polls dating back to September 2017.
 
Four of the Hawks' opponents this season are ranked in the preseason poll, as the Hawks will visit #4 Maryland, #17 Liberty, and #18 Penn State.  Saint Joseph's opens the season this weekend with a neutral site game against #11 UConn as well.
 
Bijkerk earned Second Team All-Conference honors last season after posting a 19-3 record with a 1.04 goals against average and nine shutouts.  The Steenwijk, Netherlands, native was the standout star as the Hawks beat #5 Duke in a shootout in September and then went on to hold the opposition scoreless for more than 200 consecutive minutes across five games in October.  She then had a career day on the biggest stage, making nine saves as the Hawks beat top-ranked and previously undefeated two-time reigning national champion North Carolina in the national semifinals.
 
Hailing from Enola, Pennsylvania, Buffington was a 2024 Atlantic 10 All-Academic selection after appearing in all 24 games off the bench and scoring a career-high nine goals.  She also tallied the game's only goal as the Hawks topped #20 Lafayette in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, kicking off SJU's run to the national title game.
 
Culp was another Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honoree last season, a year after being tabbed for the All-Rookie Team.  She started all 24 games in 2024 and turned in career highs in goals, assists, and points, ranking third on the team with 10 goals and fifth on the squad with 23 points.  The Wyomissing, Pa., native posted a pair of two-goal games and collected three points in two more.
 
The Hawks will open the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon against UConn before meeting New Hampshire on Sunday.