Field Hockey | 10/17/2018 3:36:00 PM

INDIANAPOLIS -- The first NCAA Division III Field Hockey Regional Rankings for 2018 were released with Washington & Jefferson topping the North Atlantic Region.

The Presidents, who are ranked No. 18 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Top 20 poll, sit atop the region with a 13-0 overall record, 12-0 mark against Division III and a 6-0 showing in Empire 8 matches. The Red & Black have already shattered previous school marks for best start to a season and longest winning streaks. W&J is one of three Empire 8 teams in the five-team regional ranking, with St. John Fisher and Stevens checking in at fourth and fifth, respectively. Vassar (N.Y.) and Rochester (N.Y.) secure the second and third spots.

Through 13 matches, W&J is outscoring its opponents by a 30-3 margin, and holding the opposition to just 4.6 shots per game, while taking 16.2 of their own. Under the direction of 12th-year head coach Jomara Coghlan, the Presidents lead the nation in three defensive categories: goals against average (0.23), save percentage (.912) and shutouts per game (0.77). Sophomore goalkeeper Rena Israel (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) tops all of Division III individually with a 0.18 GAA and .929 save percentage, allowing just two goals and making 26 saves in 777:30, while boasting an 11-0 record and nine shutouts.

Senior Rachel Buyan (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison), a two-time NFHCA all-region honoree, leads the team in scoring with 12 goals and 26 points. Her five game-winning goals are best in the Empire 8. Classmate Alana Boyd (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) is second on the squad with six goals and a team-leading four assists for 16 points.

Also announced Wednesday were the participants for the 2018 Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division III Senior Game. Buyan was chosen to represent W&J, while Boyd was named as an alternate. Annually, the NFHCA Senior Game features top senior players in the nation, who are selected to represent their institution while competing against their peers. As a selection, Buyan will have the opportunity to play in the game, while, as an alternate, Boyd will need to be picked to take the spot of a participant who is unable to compete.

This year, the Division III Senior Game will take place in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship in Manheim, Pennsylvania — the Senior Game is currently set for 5:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex.