Saint Joseph's of Maine Ranked First in 2015 GNAC Softball Preseason Poll

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monks collect 10 of possible
12 first-place votes from coaches

WINTHROP, Mass. – Saint Joseph’s College of Maine received 10 first-place votes and 141 points overall to take the top spot in the 2015 GNAC Softball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league’s 12 head coaches.

After going 20-2 in conference play during the regular season last year, Saint Joseph’s of Maine won the 2014 GNAC Championship for the fourth straight season, defeating Simmons College, 4-1. The Monks went on to win an NCAA Tournament game over Western Connecticut State before Bridgewater State and Wellesley edged them in regional play, compiling a 34-6 overall record last spring.

Simmons (27-10, 17-5 GNAC) received one first-place vote and 130 points in the poll to finish in second place in the annual ledger, while the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (22-12, 17-5 GNAC) placed third with 110 points and one first-place tally.

Suffolk University (21-23, 11-11 GNAC) finished fourth with 95 points in the poll. Johnson & Wales University (28-11, 18-4 GNAC) and Norwich University (18-18, 11-11 GNAC) both tied for the fifth spot with 89 points apiece.

In another tie, Albertus Magnus College (17-18, 10-12 GNAC) and Emmanuel College (17-21, 9-13 GNAC) both finished seventh overall with 71 points.

Rounding out the poll was Mount Ida College (9-21, 8-14 GNAC) with 49 points, Rivier University (9-25, 3-19 GNAC) with 40 points, Lasell College (14-22, 7-15 GNAC) with 37 points and Anna Maria College (3-31, 1-21 GNAC) with 14 points.

The 2015 GNAC regular-season schedule gets underway on Saturday, March 21. This year’s conference tournament is slated to begin on Tuesday, April 21 with first-round action, followed by the double-elimination portion of the championship from April 24-26.

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.

2015 GNAC Softball Preseason Poll Results
1. Saint Joseph's of Maine (10) - 141
2. Simmons (1) - 130
3. Saint Joseph (Conn.) (1) - 110
4. Suffolk - 95
T5. Johnson & Wales - 89
T5. Norwich - 89
T7. Albertus Magnus - 71
T7. Emmanuel - 71
9. Mount Ida - 49
10. Rivier - 40
11. Lasell - 37
12. Anna Maria – 14 

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