Millersville voted sixth in the PSAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll
8/21/2026 12:30:00 PM | Field Hockey
LOCK HAVEN, Pa - After a seventh place finish in the Pennsylvannia State Athletic Conference (PSAC) last season, the Marauders find themselves voted a place higher according to the PSAC's coaches preseason poll.
Head Coach Shelly Behrens enters her 19th season leading the charge for the Marauders and is looking to find the success she's had in previous seasons. Millersville hasn't seen a postseason berth since season 2022. Last season, the Marauders went 3-6 in conference play and ended the season scoring one goal in their last six games but are looking to change the tide.
Behrens' starting 11 will look a little different this season with the graduation of 12 athletes last spring. Among those 12 were top scorers and All-PSAC Athletes Alexis Kern and Emma Ruley as well as Sarah Crysler who was the team leading goalkeeper with 76 saves on the season. Behrens faces an interesting decision filling the shoes of last year's class, but strong recruitment of seven freshmen and a few transfers are ready to step into these roles.
Returning to the black and gold are Megan Alverez and Erin Esterhuizen who the Marauders' will look to for most of the offensive scoring. Alverez started 15 of 15 games last season before being sidelined by injury. In those 15 games, she scored 4 goals and had a career day in assists in a 3-1 win against Slippery Rock where she assisted in all three goals. Esterhuizen, entering her senior season, started 17 of last seasons 18 games. She also had four goals on the season and the team looks to her endurance as she played a full 60 minutes in four of last seasons games.
The Marauders are set to open their season on September 3rd at home against Dominican University at 4:00 p.m.
2026 PSAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll (# of first-place votes in parentheses)
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
Head Coach Shelly Behrens enters her 19th season leading the charge for the Marauders and is looking to find the success she's had in previous seasons. Millersville hasn't seen a postseason berth since season 2022. Last season, the Marauders went 3-6 in conference play and ended the season scoring one goal in their last six games but are looking to change the tide.
Behrens' starting 11 will look a little different this season with the graduation of 12 athletes last spring. Among those 12 were top scorers and All-PSAC Athletes Alexis Kern and Emma Ruley as well as Sarah Crysler who was the team leading goalkeeper with 76 saves on the season. Behrens faces an interesting decision filling the shoes of last year's class, but strong recruitment of seven freshmen and a few transfers are ready to step into these roles.
Returning to the black and gold are Megan Alverez and Erin Esterhuizen who the Marauders' will look to for most of the offensive scoring. Alverez started 15 of 15 games last season before being sidelined by injury. In those 15 games, she scored 4 goals and had a career day in assists in a 3-1 win against Slippery Rock where she assisted in all three goals. Esterhuizen, entering her senior season, started 17 of last seasons 18 games. She also had four goals on the season and the team looks to her endurance as she played a full 60 minutes in four of last seasons games.
The Marauders are set to open their season on September 3rd at home against Dominican University at 4:00 p.m.
2026 PSAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll (# of first-place votes in parentheses)
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
Players Mentioned
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/ Field Hockey
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F/M
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F
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Saturday, October 04
