The Northeast-10 Conference is pleased to announce that St Thomas Aquinas College will be joining the conference as an associate member in the sport of field hockey beginning in the fall of 2019.
In addition to St. Thomas Aquinas College, Mercy College and Molloy College will also join the NE10, giving the conference 15 members competing in field hockey which represents the entirety of the NCAA DII programs sponsoring the sport in the division's East region.
"The NE10 is pleased to extend associate membership to these three colleges in the sport of field hockey. Their collective commitment to the sport is important to the region and we are happy to welcome them into the Conference," said NE10 commissioner Julie Ruppert. "This is a win-win situation for the NE10 and Mercy, Molloy and STAC. We are excited about beginning this partnership with these institutions and providing distinctive opportunities for their field hockey student-athletes."
Further, Ruppert noted that, "The NE10 Council of Presidents' Council, upon the recommendation of our Athletics Council, unanimously approved the institutions' admission because they fit so well within our geographic footprint and thus provide an opportunity to responsibly control our financial resources by adding contests to NE10 field hockey schedules without incurring out-of-region travel."
Effective with the 2019 season, the NE10 field hockey schedule will be comprised of a 14-game, single round robin format. There will be no changes made to the annual NE10 Field Hockey Championship, as the top eight teams at the conclusion of the regular season will compete for a conference title. All 15 programs, including the three new associate members, are eligible for NE10 postseason play, should they qualify.
"On behalf of our Conference coaches, we are excited to add the Mercy, Molloy and STAC field hockey programs to the NE10 as associate members", said Julie Munson, head field hockey coach at Southern New Hampshire University and NE10 Coaches chair. "With the impending loss of two field hockey institutions to Division I next season, it is wonderful to know that we can preserve our Conference size and strength with these three associate members. Not only is this a great move for the NE10, it's a great move for DII field hockey."
What they're saying:
Gerry Oswald, St. Thomas Aquinas College Director of Athletics:
"Associate Membership in the NE10 is a great move for our program as we become a part of a strong field hockey conference while gaining the opportunity for post season play. As a young program, this will help our future growth and development."
Genesis Pacheco, St. Thomas Aquinas Head Field Hockey Coach:
"We are very excited about becoming an Associate Member of the NE10 in field hockey. We think this will be instrumental in continuing to grow our program as a member of a competitive conference with post season opportunities."
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is a model 15 member NCAA Division II conference diverse in composition and driven by a united commitment to provide its more than 6,000 student-athletes with exceptional educational opportunities, high-level athletics competition and personal growth through contributions to the community. We embrace excellence with integrity in all that we do.