William M. Moore, Commissioner

Office Phone:  860-677-1269

FAX: 860-674-8363

Mike Christie, Director of Communications

Office Phone:  401-456-1952

FAX:  401-456-8180

For Immediate Release                                                                                                          
Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Little East Conference Pre-Season Softball Poll

Defending Tournament Champion Keene State Finishes First, UMass Dartmouth ranked 7th 

            PROVIDENCE, RI — Defending Little East Conference Tournament champion Keene State College received five first-place votes and 58 total points to finish first in the annual pre-season poll of the league’s eight coaches.

            A year ago, the Owls finished with a 10-4 conference mark, earning a second-place tie. As the number two seed in the tournament, KSC swept its way to its fourth title. The Owls earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the finals of the New England Regional before bowing out. KSC set a program record with 34 wins and are currently ranked 20^th-nationally in the preseason.

            Not far behind KSC in the preseason poll was defending LEC Regular Season Champion Rhode Island College, who received two first-place votes and 56 total points. The Anchorwomen, who concluded the season with a conference mark of 12-2, earned the program’s first championship. RIC fell in the LEC Tournament but bounced back to win the ECAC New England Championship.

            Placing third in the preseason poll with 52 points was Western Connecticut who finished 2005 with a 10-4 LEC record. The Huskies earned a trip to the ECAC Tournament, falling in the finals to LEC rival Rhode Island College.

            Sitting in the fourth and fifth place positions in the preseason poll, respectively, were Eastern Connecticut and Southern Maine. The Warriors, who garnered 39 points, finished in a fourth-place tie in the conference last season with a 7-7 LEC mark. The Huskies, with 34 points, also concluded last spring with a conference mark of 7-7.

Plymouth State placed sixth in the poll with 23 points, UMass Dartmouth was seventh with 16 points and UMass Boston was eighth with ten points. This is where the three finished in the final conference standings a year ago as the Panthers were 6-8 in the LEC, the Corsairs were 4-10 in the league while the Beacons were winless at 0-14.

2006 Little East Conference Preseason Softball Poll

                                                              1)      Keene State College.................. 58....... (5)

                                                               2)      Rhode Island College................. 56....... (2)

                                                                3)      Western Connecticut ................ 52....... (1)

                                                   4)      Eastern Connecticut .................. 39

                                                  5)      Southern Maine......................... 34

                                                  6)      Plymouth State.......................... 23

                                                   7)      UMass Dartmouth..................... 16

                                                  8)      UMass Boston.......................... 10

 (first place votes in parentheses)