Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/28/09
FDU-Florham has been selected as the favorite to win the 2009 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) women’s lacrosse championship in a poll conducted by the conference head coaches.
The FDU Devils start off the preseason poll earning eight first place votes and 130 points. The Devils finished their 2008 season with a record of 16-3 after entering the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Devils return standout Amanda Wayne, the MAC Player of the Year and a First Team IWLCA All-Region selection.
Messiah (10-7, 6-2) posts a third place finish with 107 points. Lycoming (9-8, 5-3) takes the fourth spot in the poll with 101 points.
Eastern (14-5) comes from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference as its last champion and starts the season voted fifth with 100 points. Widener (6-10, 3-5) posted 76 points and a sixth place finish.
Manhattanville (9-8, 4-4) comes in seventh with 66 points. King’s College tallied 57 points and an eighth place finish. The King’s College women’s lacrosse team wrapped up the 2008 season a 3-13 overall record and a 2-6 mark in MAC play.
Misericordia posted 56 points in a ninth place finish. Misericordia finished 7-9 overall and qualified for the PAC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Wilkes comes in tenth place with 48 points. The Lady Colonels concluded their 2008 campaign with a 6-10 record, 1-7 in the conference.
Arcadia and Alvernia round out the poll tied for eleventh place with 35 points. Arcadia finished out the 2008 season with an overall record of 4-11 and 0-8 in the conference. Alvernia (2-13, 2-8 PAC) had freshman Felicia Sippel (St. Hubert) jump all the way into the top 10 in career scoring with 53 points. She tallied 47 goals and 47 ground balls, both good for second on the team, and six assists, and sits seventh on the career points list after one season. Sippel was the team’s leader in draw controls grabbing 59.
2009 Middle Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll
1. FDU-Florham 130 (8)
2. Elizabethtown 125 (4)
3. Messiah 107
4. Lycoming 101
5. Eastern 100
6. Widener 76
7. Manhattanville 66
8. King’s 57
9. Misericordia 56
10. Wilkes 48
11t. Arcadia 35
11t. Alvernia 35
