Catholic Earns Top Spot In Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll

MADISON, N.J. - The Catholic University of America's women's lacrosse  team has been picked as the favorite in the first season of competition in the Landmark Conference as selected in the Landmark Preseason Women's Lacrosse Poll. The head women's lacrosse coaches and sports information directors at each institution that sponsors the sport were polled for the preseason ballot.

Catholic claimed the top spot by the slimmest of margins as the team accumulated 42 points compared to 41 points for second-place Drew University. Catholic or Drew were picked either first or second on each of the ballots. Goucher College holds the third spot in the six-team poll with 29 points.

In 2007 the Cardinals posted an impressive 11-5 record before falling in overtime in a conference postseason match. Catholic outscored its foes 221-104 a season ago and welcomes back three of its top five scorers. The team will be led by a pair of returning All-Region selections in senior Caitlin O'Neil and sophomore Kate Robinson. Robinson was also the Conference Rookie of the Year last season.

Drew enters 2008 coming off one of the finest seasons in program history as the Rangers reached the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 after earning the conference championship. There will be some holes to fill as the team lost four All-Conference players from that team, but the starting goalkeeper and conference tournament MVP do return from the 2007 squad.

Goucher earns the third spot in the poll with 29 points after being picked third on nearly every ballot. The Gophers were 8-8 in 2007 and reached the semifinals of their conference tournament. Back in the fold for the team are 2007 All-Region honorees Emily Blatter and Kate Knitter who were the team's top two scorers on the season. The 2008 Gophers will have to replace four departed seniors including the starting goalie.

The University of Scranton earned 25 points in the polling which puts them in the fourth position. There will be plenty of offensive firepower back as five of its top six goal scorers return from the team that went 6-9 in 2007. The Royals reached the conference postseason for the fifth-consecutive season last year, and will also return their starting goalkeeper from that team.

Susquehanna University's 19 points put them in fifth place in the preseason poll after the Crusaders posted a 5-8 record in 2007. Midfielder Rachel Deilbiss and defender Jessica Wilson both return after representing Susquehanna on the All-Conference team last season. The team also brings back its top goal scorer from a year ago, as well as one of its two primary goalies.

Moravian College rounds out the poll in sixth place with nine points. The Greyhounds look to rebound from a tough 2-13 campaign by bringing back 15 letterwinners from last year's team. Among those are five players who scored at least 10 goals last season as the Greyhounds finished the year with 149 goals. Moravian will need to replace its starting goalkeeper from the 2007 season.

Preseason favorite Catholic will be the first Landmark team in action this spring when it hosts Dickinson on Feb. 28. Conference play will begin on Saturday April 4 as Catholic hosts Susquehanna, Drew travels to Goucher and Scranton welcomes Moravian.