Women's Lacrosse
February 25, 2009
ANNVILLE, Pa. - FDU-Florham has been selected as the favorite to win the 2009 MAC lacrosse championship poll conducted of the conference head coaches. The FDU Devils start off the preseason poll earning eight first place votes and 130 points. The Devils finished their 2008 season with a record of 16-3 after entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Devils return standout Amanda Wayne, the MAC Player of the Year and a First Team IWLCA All-Region selection. She led the team with 63 goals, 23 assists and 86 points. Sophomore defender Jackie Gale, First Team All-IWLCA Boardwalk Region, also returns for the Devils.
Elizabethtown (11-5, 7-10) comes in second with four first place votes and 125 points. With the graduation of only one starter and the return of seven All-MAC performers, E-town looks to contend again this season. Leading the way for the E-town attack will be senior Katie Foley, who was named First Team All-MAC and Second Team All-Metro region last year. Foley set a school record with 70 goals last season and added 19 assists to give her a total of 89 points on the season. Joining her on the attack will be junior Megan Byrnes, a two-time Second Team All-MAC performer. Byrnes had an excellent season last year, posting 50 goals and dishing out 17 assists while shooting at a blistering 62.5 percent.
Messiah (10-7, 6-2) posts a third place finish with 107 points. Messiah's 2008 campaign ended in the MAC Tournament semi-final. Returning to the squad is standout freshman Kara Geiman, who was tabbed Middle Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year, while two other Messiah women's lacrosse players joined her on All-League Second Teams. Conference coaches found it hard not to notice Geiman's stellar play, as the freshman midfielder led Messiah in goals (65), assists (22) and points (87). She converted 575 percent of her 113 total shots, making 65.5 percent of her 74 shots on goal. She added 25 ground balls and 24 draw controls - fifth and sixth best marks on the team, respectively - scoring nine of 19 free position shots.
Lycoming (9-8, 5-3) takes the fourth spot in the poll with 101 points. In 2008, the Lady Warriors lost at No. 1 seed FDU-Florham in a Middle Atlantic Conference semi-final playoff to finish their season. Justine Titko will be the top returning midfielder. Last season she had 23 goals, 10 assists and 14 caused turnovers to go along with 32 groundballs.
Eastern (14-5) starts the season voted fifth with 100 points. The Eastern University women's lacrosse team returned to the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. The three-time defending champion Eagles had three players earn recognition as All-PAC performers. First year attacker Grace Griffith finished her freshman campaign with 50 goals. Griffith was the only rookie on the First Team. Junior defender Linnea Davis joined Griffith on the First Team. Junior Jessie Basch earned Second Team honors as a midfielder. Basch made her presence felt in the post-season with 10 goals and six assists in the final two PAC games and the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Widener (6-10, 3-5) posted 76 points and a sixth place finish. The Pride return junior Jackie Elliott, who was tabbed Second Team All-MAC after ending the season with a team high 33 goals and 45 points. Also returning from last year's squad, Grace Cavanaugh and fellow junior Amanda Wilson will bring experience to the 2009 team.
Manhattanville (9-8, 4-4) comes in seventh with 66 points. The Valiants are hoping to build off of a program-record nine wins and a fifth-place finish in the Middle Atlantic Conference standings last year. As a team, the Valiants set a new record with 223 goals last season. Manhattanville graduates three players from last season's team, including four-time All-Conference selection Cory Alcorn, but the Valiants return two of the top seven scorers in program history in seniors Abbe Grimes and Katie Bertel as they look to reach the MAC Tournament in 2009.
King's College tallied 57 points and an eighth place finish. The King's College women's lacrosse team wrapped up the 2008 season a 3-13 overall record and a 2-6 mark in Middle Atlantic Conference play. They return scoring threat Alicia Cox.
Misericordia posted 56 points in a ninth place finish. Misericordia finished 7-9 overall and qualified for the PAC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Nicole DeAngelis was a Second Team All-PAC selection and was named the PAC Rookie of the Year. DeAngelis, a midfielder, set a school single-season scoring record with 85 points (65g, 20a). She was second on the team with 43 draw controls. Shannon Tinkham and Jamie Wargo were both second-team All-PAC selections.
Wilkes comes in tenth place with 48 points. The Lady Colonels concluded their 2008 campaign with a 6-10 record, 1-7 in the conference.
Arcadia and Alvernia round out the poll tied for eleventh place with 35 points.
Arcadia finished out the 2008 season with an overall record of 4-11 and 0-8 in the conference. Arcadia loses senior keeper Michelle Leone but returns Jenni Groves and Shannon Bustin who look to continue to improve the 2009 team.
Alvernia (2-13, 2-8 PAC) had freshman Felicia Sippel jump all the way into the top 10 in career scoring with 53 points. She tallied 47 goals and 47 ground balls, both good for second on the team, and six assists, and sits seventh on the career points list after one season. Sippel was the team's leader in draw controls grabbing 59.
2009 Middle Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll
1. FDU-Florham 130 (8)
2. Elizabethtown 125 (4)
3. Messiah 107
4. Lycoming 101
5. Eastern 100
6. Widener 76
7. Manhattanville 66
8. King's 57
9. Misericordia 56
10. Wilkes 48
11t. Arcadia 35
11t. Alvernia 35