BOSTON ? The University of New Hampshire has been selected to win the 2007 conference championship, according to the America East Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Wildcats received four first-place votes and 46 total points to finish just ahead of Boston University with 43 points and three first-place votes.
UMBC was picked third with 37 points, followed by Stony Brook University (25 points) and the University at Albany (21). The University of Vermont (15) and Binghamton University (nine) round out the seven-team poll.
The top four teams in the conference will advance to the America East Championship with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
The fourth-seeded Wildcats (11-7, 4-2 America East in 2006) upset top-ranked UMBC in the semifinals of the 2006 conference tournament to advance to the title game for the fifth-straight year. Eleventh-year head coach Sandy Bridgeman boasts a youthful roster that is made up of 15 underclassmen and seven upperclassmen. First-team all-conference selection Christine Carbone leads the UNH defense, while junior Moira Talbot and sophomore Sarah Von Bargen, both second-teamers, will pace the Wildcat attack.
|
Rank |
Team (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1. |
New Hampshire (4) |
46 |
|
2. |
Boston U. (3) |
43 |
|
3. |
UMBC |
37 |
|
4. |
Stony Brook |
25 |
|
5. |
Albany |
21 |
|
6. |
Vermont |
15 |
|
7. |
Binghamton |
9 |
The two-time defending champion Terriers (15-5, 5-1) will look to get to their ninth-straight conference title game as they take the field under first-year head coach Liz Robertshaw. Boston University returns five starters from last year’s squad, including second-team all-conference selections Molly Collins and Jenna Golden. The Terriers have won three-consecutive regular-season crowns and four of the last five league tournament titles.
The 2006 America East Coach of the Year Courtney Connor led UMBC (10-8, 5-1) to a share of its first regular-season conference title a season ago. Despite being upset in the semifinals of the league tournament, the Retrievers return to the field in 2007 with high hopes as they welcome back nine starters, including junior attack Ali Levendusky, a first-team all-conference selection. Seniors Kelly Fahey and Jen Kasper, both second-team all-conference picks, will anchor the midfield for UMBC.
Stony Brook (9-9, 4-2) is coming off it’s best season in program history, which included the Seawolves first trip to the America East Championship since 2003. The 2006 Rookie of the Year Kaitlin Leggio will be SB’s mainstay at midfield for second-year head coach Allison Comito, while fellow midfielder’s Amy Taylor and Jenna Spenard, both second-team all-conference picks in 2006, will also be solid contributors.
The Great Danes (8-8, 2-4) are coming off an 8-8 campaign, which tied their highest win total as a Division I program last season. Albany may have its best team since joining the Division I ranks with four all-conference players and last season’s top five scorers returning for second-year head coach Lindsey Hart.
For the second-straight year, Vermont (6-10, 1-5) will be one of the youngest squads in the league. Third-year head coach Jen Johnson has added 13 freshmen to go along with nine sophomores as the Catamounts roster features all but eight underclassmen. America East all-rookie and second-team all-conference selection Kirsten Millar became the first rookie in UVM history to lead the team in scoring, totaling 53 points on 27 goals and 26 assists.
Binghamton (4-13, 0-6) returns 11 of 12 starters from last year’s squad as third-year head coach Emily Edmonston looks to improve the Bearcats. With four wins in 2006, Binghamton tied the school-record for most wins in a season and won back-to-back contests for the first time in the program’s five-year history.
The America East Championship will be held May 4 and 6 with all rounds played at the No. 1 seed.