University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Are Preseason Pick To Win ACC, No. 2 Nationally
August 25, 2015 | Field Hockey
Two Tar Heels, senior Emily Wold and junior Julia Young, were named to the 11-member Preseason All-ACC team, also selected by the league's coaches.
Carolina, which reached the NCAA semifinal last season, received four first-place votes and edged out Syracuse for the top spot. The Orange, which advanced to the national championship game in 2014, received two first place votes and 31 points.
Duke was selected on one ballot to win the league and collected 26 points. Virginia (18 points), Wake Forest (17), Louisville (13), and Boston College (8) round out the preseason poll.
Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, and Syracuse all had two players recognized on the preseason team.
Six of the 11 on the preseason squad were named Longstreth/NFHCA All-Americans in 2014, including four who earned first team honors: Wold, Syracuse's Alyssa Manley and Emma Russell, and Virginia's Tara Vittese.
ACC teams have won 17 of the 34 NCAA field hockey titles, including 10 of the last 13, and at least one ACC squad has advanced to the national championship game for 16 straight years. All seven current ACC programs finished the 2014 season ranked nationally.
The 2015 season gets underway this weekend with all seven teams in action. The 2015 ACC Field Hockey Championship will be held Nov. 5-8 in Charlottesville, Va.
2015 ACC Field Hockey Predicted Order of Finish
1. North Carolina (4) - 34
2. Syracuse (2) - 31
3. Duke (1) - 26
4. Virginia - 18
5. Wake Forest - 17
6. Louisville - 13
7. Boston College – 8
2015 Preseason All-ACC Field Hockey Team
Emily McCoy, Jr., M, Boston College
Aileen Johnson , Sr., M, Duke
Lauren Blazing, RSr., GK, Duke
Elisa Garcia, Sr., M, Louisville
Nicole Woods, So., M/F, Louisville
Emily Wold, Sr., M/B, North Carolina
Julia Young, Jr., B, North Carolina
Alyssa Manley, Sr., M, Syracuse
Emma Russell, Sr., F, Syracuse
Tara Vittese, So., M, Virginia
Emily Conroe, Jr., M, Wake Forest
