SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University field hockey team was voted second in the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Coaches' Poll released Tuesday afternoon by the conference office.
 
The preseason coaches' poll is selected by the league's coaches. The conference does not allow coaches to vote for their own team in the preseason polls.
 
Shippensburg received two of the nine possible first-place votes it could have received. Kutztown received seven first-place votes atop the poll.
 
West Chester ranks third with the remaining first-place vote; East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg round out the Top 5.
 
Shippensburg is under the direction of Rayell Wallace, who enters her second season with the Raiders. SU went 20-3 last season and ended the year on a six-game winning streak – having won the PSAC Championship and the NCAA Division II National Championship.
 
SU enters the season with a 23-person roster that includes 15 returners and eight first-year recruits. Among the returning players include All-American Hannah White. The Raiders graduated five players, including All-Americans Emma Albee (goalkeeper), Lilly Cantabene (forward) and Agus Garibaldi (midfield).
 
Shippensburg begins its season September 4-5 with a pair of neutral-site matches hosted by Wingate. The Raiders will face Belmont Abbey and Lander on the opening weekend.
 
2026 PSAC Preseason Field Hockey Poll
(First-place votes are indicated in parentheses; teams are not allowed to vote for themselves)
 
1. Kutztown (7)
2. Shippensburg (2)
3. West Chester (1)
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Bloomsburg
6. Millersville
7. Mansfield
8. IUP
9. Frostburg State
10. Slippery Rock