BOSTON – After clinching the program’s first #AEWLAX Title in over a decade, UAlbany was unanimously selected to repeat as conference champion, taking the top spot in the 2024 #AEWLAX Preseason Poll, which was voted upon by the leagues head coaches and released on Wednesday afternoon.
UAlbany claimed all six possible first place votes, earning 36 total points. 2022 #AEWLAX Champion Vermont was picked second with 29 points. The Catamounts edged 2023 runner-up Binghamton, who had 28 points and the remaining first place vote. Bryant and New Hampshire tied for fourth with 15 points while UMBC (13) and UMass Lowell (11) rounded out the poll.
2024 Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
| School |
Points (1st) |
| 1. UAlbany |
36 (6) |
| 2. Vermont |
29 |
| 3. Binghamton |
28 (1) |
| T4. Bryant |
15 |
| T4. New Hampshire |
15 |
| 6. UMBC |
13 |
| 7. UMass Lowell |
11 |
What to Watch For:
- UAlbany returns five of its top seven scorers from a season ago, including 2023 Inside Lacrosse All-America Honorable Mention Katie Pascale. Pascale was named the Midfielder of the Year after leading the league in points (92) and assists (43). The Great Danes also return starting goalkeeper Grace Cincebox.
- Vermont brings back their top four scorers from 2022, highlighted by three-time First-Team All-Conference selection and Co-Attacker of the Year Ava Vasile, and 2023 Rookie of the Year Jane Trauger.
- The Bearcats won a school-record 11 contests in 2023 and this season five of their seven 2023 All-Conference honorees are back, highlighted by junior midfielder Abigail Carroll and junior defender Angelina Suau.
- Kenna Kaut returns for Bryant after ranking second in the league with 54 goals, while New Hampshire's Katie Taranto was tied for third in scoring with 51 goals and led UNH to a fourth place finish.
The season begins on Feb. 9 with New Hampshire, UAlbany and Vermont all in action. UMBC, Binghamton and Bryant each play at home on Feb. 10, while UVM and UMass Lowell are on the road Feb. 11. Conference play begins on Saturday, March 16 as UAlbany hosts Binghamton in a championship rematch, while UNH welcomes UVM and UMBC travels to Bryant.
The top four teams in the conference standings will qualify for the 2024 America East Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which will be held at tournament's No. 1 seed. The semifinals take place on May 3 and the championship tilt on May 5. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, where #AEWLAX teams have combined to win 12 games in the last ten years.
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEWLAX contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
– Building the Complete Student-Athlete -