FOREST, Va. - The Bridgewater College field hockey team was picked fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's preseason poll, released on Monday afternoon.

The league's annual coach-voted poll saw Lynchburg (63 points) take home seven first-place votes to earn the top spot. Washington and Lee (56 pts.) earned the other two nods for the top step of the podium and came in at second, while Shenandoah (52 pts.) was slotted in at third. Randolph-Macon (41 pts.) came in at No. 4, just ahead of BC (36pts.). Roanoke (29 pts.), Batten (23 pts.), Sweet Briar (13 pts.) and EMU (11 pts.) rounded out the projected finishing order.

The Eagles' 2026 unit blends experience with new faces looking to make an impact. Molly Best returns after earning a spot on the All-ODAC Second Team a season ago, while her fellow seniors, Olivia Ohleger and Lexi Francis, both return off of multi-goal seasons in 2025. The roster for second-year head coach Emily Bagby '20 also features 11 rookies, including the duo of Rachel Adel and Thaleia Khader between the pipes. 

Bridgewater opens the 2026 campaign at Mary Washington on Sep. 1 and opens the home slate on Sep. 5 as St. Mary's (Md.) visits for a 1 p.m. date.