WATERVILLE, Maine — Bangor-based Husson University has claimed the top spot in the 2016-17 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll.
The defending champions earned five of the 10 first-place votes for a total of 91 points, while Maine Maritime Academy was selected second after earning two first place votes for a total of 85 points and Castleton University earned third with 79 points after claiming one first place vote.
New England College took fourth with 75 points and the remaining two first place votes, while Colby-Sawyer College placed fifth with 63 points, and Johnson State College was selected sixth with 51 points. Rounding out the poll were UM-Farmington in seventh (41 points), Lyndon State College in eighth (28 points), Thomas College in ninth (26 points), and Green Mountain College in 10th (11 points).
Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league’s head women’s basketball coaches.
The top four teams in the 2016-17 preseason poll competed as the top four seeds in the NAC Tournament last season. Husson claimed the No. 1 seed, while Castleton was No. 2, Maine Maritime was No. 3 and New England College was the No. 4 seed in the 2016 conference tournament.
The four teams faced off in the NAC Semifinals with the top seeds holding, as Castleton defeated Maine Maritime and Husson beat NEC, both earned 69-55 victories. In the championship final, the Eagles came away with a 58-49 win over the Spartans.
After claiming their third NAC title and first since 2011, Husson went on to compete in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the national tournament, the Eagles lost 76-46 to a strong Albright team that made it to the third round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, as the Lions fell to the eventual national runner-up Tufts, 62-49.
The Eagles went 21-7 overall last year and were 17-1 in conference play. Head coach Kissy Walker enters her 13th straight season and 26th overall at helm for the Eagles.
Husson will see the return of guard Chandler Guerrette (10.9 points per game in 2015-16) of Presque Isle for her senior year and one of the other top returnees from last year’s squad is sophomore Kenzie Worcester (13.8 ppg) of Washburn. Worcester’s high school teammate, Joan Overman, is also a member of the Eagles’ roster.
