Jan. 11, 2010
Baltimore, Md. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team has been ranked ninth in Lacrosse magazine’s preseason poll for the upcoming 2010 spring season.
Lacrosse Magazine’s staff compiled the rankings in all divisions after consultations with coaches throughout the country. They will appear in the January issue of the magazine with expanded college previews in the February issue.
During the 2010 regular season, Notre Dame will face eight teams that are ranked in Lacrosse Magazine’s poll led by five-time defending national champion, Northwestern, as the Wildcats are ranked No. 1 to start the new campaign. Also on the Notre Dame schedule this season are No. 6 Georgetown, No. 7 Syracuse, No. 11 Vanderbilt, No. 12 Dartmouth, No. 13 Boston University, No. 15 Loyola (Md.) and No. 16 Ohio State.
The Irish are coming off a season that saw them finish 16-5 overall while going 5-2 in the BIG EAST regular season to finish third. In the BIG EAST Tournament, they would knock off Syracuse in the semifinals before capturing Notre Dame’s first women’s lacrosse BIG EAST crown with a win over Georgetown. Four BIG EAST teams enter the preseason ranked in the top 20 – Georgetown, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Loyola (Md.).
In the NCAA Tournament, the Irish advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Vanderbilt at home and then losing at North Carolina. They finished the season ranked sixth in the final IWLCA poll, the highest any Notre Dame team has been ranked to end the season.
Head coach Tracy Coyne and her Irish squad opens the 2010 season on Jan. 30-31, 2010 when they travel to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., to play a pair of exhibition games with the U.S. National Team at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. The regular season begins on Feb. 23 at Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y.
Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Poll
1. Northwestern2. Maryland3. North Carolina4. Penn5. Duke6. Georgetown7. Syracuse8. Virginia9. Notre Dame10. Princeton11. Vanderbilt12. Dartmouth13. Boston University14. Stanford15. Loyola16. Ohio State17. Towson18. Cornell19. James Madison20. William & Mary