CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Two America East women's lacrosse teams are ranked in the 2009 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) Preseason Poll released February 3. The Boston University Terriers, the defending America East Champions, are ranked 10th in the country, while the New Hampshire Wildcats, at-large NCAA Championship participants, were chosen 14th in the preseason poll.
America East is one of three conferences to have two teams in the top 20 to enter the season. Reigning National Champion Northwestern tops the chart with 399 points and 19 of 20 first-place votes.
The Terriers and Wildcats were ranked seventh and 13th, respectively, by the IWLCA to end the 2008 season. Last year, the conference rivals faced each other three times, including an overtime America East Championship title game and NCAA Championship first-round game, with Boston University winning all three contests. It was just the second time in conference history that the league sent multiple teams to the postseason tournament. Between the two teams, they return a combined 12 all-conference players, including the 2008 Player of the Year in Boston U.'s Sarah Dalton.
The 2009 America East Women's Lacrosse Championship will take place at the field of the top seed on April 30 and May 2.
| IWLCA Division I Weekly Poll (2 Feb 2009) |
|---|
| Rank/Team | 2008 record | Points | First Place Votes |
| 1. Northwestern | 21-1 | 399 | (19) |
| 2. Syracuse | 18-3 | 365 | (1) |
| 3. Duke | 13-8 | 362 | |
| 4. Virginia | 14-4 | 313 | |
| 5. Penn | 17-2 | 302 | |
| 6. Maryland | 18-3 | 285 | |
| 7. Princeton | 13-5 | 280 | |
| 8. Georgetown | 12-7 | 236 | |
| 9. North Carolina | 13-7 | 230 | |
| 10. Boston University | 18-3 | 214 | |
| 11. Notre Dame | 12-7 | 195 | |
| 12. Vanderbilt | 13-6 | 146 | |
| 13. Dartmouth | 7-9 | 135 | |
| 14. New Hampshire | 13-6 | 89 | |
| 15. Johns Hopkins | 7-9 | 86 | |
| 16t. James Madison | 8-9 | 75 | |
| 16t. Cornell | 10-6 | 75 | |
| 18. Stanford | 12-8 | 63 | |
| 19t. Denver | 13-6 | 62 | |
| 19t. Towson | 13-6 | 62 | |
Also receiving votes: Boston College, George Mason, Loyola, Ohio State, Penn State, Richmond, William & Mary, Yale