Catholic Sits Atop Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
MADISON, N.J. – Four-time Landmark women's lacrosse
champions The Catholic University of America has been tabbed as the
favorite for another title as voted in the Landmark Preseason
Women's Lacrosse Poll. The five head women's lacrosse coaches and
sports information directors at each institution that sponsor the
sport were polled for the preseason ballot.
The Cardinals were the consensus top choice, earning every first
place vote to collect 32 points and finish 13 spots ahead of the
second-place team. The voting was tight at the second and third
positions with Drew University placing second with 19 points, and
The University of Scranton one back with 18.
Catholic produced an unbeaten conference regular season, and won
its fourth Landmark championship, while also winning its NCAA
opener and ultimately finishing 15-4 overall last season. The
Cardinals are ranked 11th the Division III preseason coaches poll,
and return four All-Conference players, including reigning Landmark
Player of the Year and first-team All-American Mary Swarthout.
Drew has played in the last three Landmark championship matches
and finished the 2011 season with an overall mark of 11-8. Senior
attacker Aileen Musynske and defender Jasmine Cordi-Miller
highlight the 13 returning players but the team will have to
overcome the loss of a large senior class that featured six
All-Conference selections.
Scranton posted the most wins for the program since the 2006
season with its 10-6 record, and went 2-2 in conference play. The
Royals had only four seniors on the team last year, and while they
will need to replace a multi-time All-Conference midfielder, they
bring back a pair of All-Conference honorees including Landmark
Rookie of the Year Kerry Sullivan.
Goucher College collected 11 points to place fourth in the poll.
The Gophers made a fourth-straight appearance in the Landmark
postseason last year, finishing with an even .500 record of 8-8.
Hannah Khin led the Landmark in goals and goals per game as a
sophomore and is joined by the returning high-scoring duo of Erin
Reifsnyder and Becca Smith among the team's nine returning
players.
Susquehanna University rounds out the poll with 10 points. The
Crusaders had solid 7-8 season in 2011 and feature a roster of 17
returning competitors for 2012. The team placed fifth in the
Landmark standings, narrowly missing a postseason spot. Senior
All-Conference defender Marra Landino returns to anchor the defense
while sophomore Michelle McGinniss led the team in goals in her
freshman campaign.
The first match of the season for a Landmark team will take
place Feb. 24, and all five teams will play its first game before
the end of February. Landmark competition will get underway March
31 with Scranton traveling to play Goucher and Catholic hosting
Drew in a championship rematch.