Women's Lacrosse: Syracuse unanimously picked as Big East preseason No. 1
January 23, 2009
from press releases
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The BIG EAST women’s lacrosse coaches have tabbed Syracuse as the unanimous favorite in the 2009 BIG EAST women’s lacrosse preseason poll. The Orange received all seven first-place votes and placed five players on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
In addition, Syracuse senior Katie Rowan was named the unanimous BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and was one of eight unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees. Syracuse junior Lindsay Rogers was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year as well as a unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST honoree. The 2009 season also will be the first year the league will contain eight members as Cincinnati and Louisville begin BIG EAST play.
Syracuse, which has won the previous two BIG EAST women’s lacrosse championships, earned the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Championship in 2008. Syracuse (18-3, 5-0 BIG EAST) returns nine starters from a squad that advanced to the title game of the NCAA Championship. The Orange also return 18 letterwinners and are riding a league-best nine-game conference winning steak with their last loss coming on March 10, 2007 at Georgetown 9-8 in double overtime.
The Orange is under the direction of second-year head coach Gary Gait. A 1990 graduate of the school, Gait led Syracuse to a school-record 18 victories in 2008. SU is expected to be led offensively by Rowan, who was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy last season. Rowan led the country with 142 points, including 73 goals and 69 assists in 2008. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 284 career points, including 178 goals and 106 assists.
In addition to being named the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, junior Lindsay Rogers was one of five Syracuse players to earn preseason all-league honors. Joining her on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team are sophomore goalkeeper Liz Hogan, junior attack/midfield Halley Quillinan and junior midfielder Christina Dove.
Georgetown was picked second in the preseason rankings and returns nine starters for the 2009 campaign. Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Ricky Freid, the Hoyas (12-7, 3-2 BIG EAST) earned one first-place vote and totaled 42 points. GU returns 26 letterwinners from a squad that advanced to the first-round of the NCAA Championship in 2008. Three players earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors, including senior midfielder Jordan Trautman, junior midfielder Ashby Kaestner and junior attack Molly Ford.
Notre Dame was picked third in the preseason poll with 38 points, just behind Georgetown. The Irish (12-7, 4-1 BIG EAST) also advanced to the first-round of the NCAA Championship last season and return seven starters from last year’s squad. Senior attack Jillian Byers was named a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, along with sophomore attack/midfielder Shaylyn Blaney and senior defender/midfielder Shannon Burke.
Rutgers was tabbed fourth in the preseason selections with 29 points and is expected to be led by junior midfielder Brooke Cantwell. Also chosen as a Preseason All-BIG EAST performer, Cantwell totaled 49 points, including 36 goals and 13 assists in 2008.
Loyola was picked fifth in the preseason poll, just behind Rutgers with 27 points. Under the direction of first-year head coach Jen Adams, the Greyhounds are expected to be led by Preseason All-BIG EAST pick Grace Gavin. A sophomore midfielder, Gavin totaled a team-leading 52 points last season, including 38 goals and 14 assists.
Louisville, Connecticut and Cincinnati round out the preseason picks, respectively. The Cardinals and Bearcats are entering their first year in the league, while the Huskies are under the direction of first-year head coach Angela McMahon.
The 2009 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship will be played in Washington, D.C., at Georgetown’s Multi-Sport Field. The semifinals will be held on Friday, April 24 with the championship set for Sunday, April 26. For the third consecutive year, the title game will be televised live on the CBS College Sports Network.
2009 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Syracuse (7) 49
2. Georgetown (1) 42
3. Notre Dame 38
4. Rutgers 29
5. Loyola (Md.) 27
6. Louisville 17
7. Connecticut 15
8. Cincinnati 7
First-place votes in parentheses
2009 BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
* Katie Rowan, Syracuse, Senior, Attack
2009 BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Lindsay Rogers, Syracuse, Junior, Defense
2009 BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
* Shaylyn Blaney, Notre Dame, Sophomore, Attack/Midfield
Shannon Burke, Notre Dame, Senior, Midfield/Defense
* Jillian Byers, Notre Dame, Senior, Attack
Brooke Cantwell, Rutgers, Junior, Midfield
Christina Dove, Syracuse, Junior, Midfield
Molly Ford, Georgetown, Junior, Attack
Grace Gavin, Loyola, Sophomore, Midfield
* Liz Hogan, Syracuse, Sophomore, Goalkeeper
* Ashby Kaestner, Georgetown, Junior, Midfield
* Halley Quillinan, Syracuse, Junior, Attack/Midfield
* Lindsay Rogers, Syracuse, Junior, Defense
* Katie Rowan, Syracuse, Senior, Attack
* Jordan Trautman, Georgetown, Senior, Defense
* unanimous selections
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