Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/5/10
From Press Releases
The BIG EAST women’s lacrosse coaches have selected Georgetown as the favorite in the 2010 BIG EAST women’s lacrosse preseason poll. The Hoyas totaled 59 points, including four first-place votes and were narrowly picked ahead of Syracuse (57 points) and Notre Dame (54 points). The Orange totaled three first-place votes while the Irish had two. All three teams advanced to the 2009 NCAA Championship. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Notre Dame senior attack Gina Scioscia was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and was one of six unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees. Syracuse junior goalkeeper Liz Hogan earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as Preseason All-BIG EAST accolades. Two of the preseason All-BIG EAST team include Loyola’s Cara Filippelli (Archbishop Carroll) and Louisville’s Bergan Foley (Gwynedd Mercy Academy).
Scioscia totaled 96 points, including 53 goals and 43 assists last season. She also scored six game-winning goals, collected 19 ground balls and was a an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection last season. She is the league’s top returning scorer averaging 4.6 points per game.
Hogan played in 19 games last year and posted a 9.58 goals against-average. She also tallied 144 saves, collected 41 ground balls and was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection last season.
Georgetown returns eight starters to a squad which won a share of the 2009 BIG EAST regular-season crown as well as the No. 1 seed for the BIG EAST Championship. The Hoyas went 13-6 last season, including 6-1 in BIG EAST play.
Syracuse, which has advanced to the NCAA Championship in each of the last three years under the direction of head coach Gary Gait, returns seven starters and 22 letterwinners in 2010. The Orange (14-5, 6-1 BIG EAST) also totaled a league-leading four Preseason All-BIG EAST selections, including Hogan.
Notre Dame rounds out the teams earning first-place votes and is coming off its first BIG EAST tournament Championship. The Irish (16-5, 5-2 BIG EAST) had three players selected to the preseason all-conference team, including Scioscia. Junior midfield/attack Shaylyn Blaney, a Preseason All-Conference pick, totaled 47 points, including 44 goals along with 46 draw controls and 31 ground balls in 2009. Senior defender Rachel Guerrera also was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection after having amassing 33 ground balls.
Loyola (11-6, 3-4 BIG EAST) was tabbed fourth in the preseason selections with 43 points and is expected to be led by junior midfield/attack Grace Gavin and junior midfielder Filippelli. A Preseason All-BIG EAST pick, Gavin led the team in scoring with 74 points, including 56 goals in 2009. Also chosen as a Preseason All-BIG EAST performer, Filippelli totaled 46 ground balls and 24 draw controls along with 20 points and 15 goals last season.
Louisville (10-7, 3-4 BIG EAST) was picked fifth in the league’s preseason poll after making the BIG EAST Championship in its first year of league membership. Led by 2009 All-BIG EAST Second Team junior Foley, the Cardinals are entering their third year of Division I play. Foley totaled 67 points, including 61 goals last season. She is the league’s top returning goal-scorer averaging 3.8 per game.
Rutgers (7-9, 3-4 BIG EAST) was picked sixth and will look for leadership of senior midfielder Brooke Cantwell to lead the offense. A Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, Cantwell was the teams’ top offensive threat last season totaling 38 points, including 32 goals. She also proved very versatile and totaled 24 draw controls and 23 ground balls.
Connecticut and Cincinnati round out the poll, followed by Villanova.
The 2010 season will be the first year the league will contain nine members as Villanova begins BIG EAST play. In addition it is the first year all three games of the BIG EAST Championship will be televised live on national television. The CBS College Sports Network will broadcast both semifinals live on May 6 while the title game is set for May 8. The 2010 BIG EAST women’s lacrosse championship will be held at Rutgers University.
2010 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
Points
1. Georgetown (4) 59
2. Syracuse (3) 57
3. Notre Dame (2) 54
4. Loyola 43
5. Louisville 34
6. Rutgers 32
7. Connecticut 21
8. Cincinnati 16
9. Villanova 8
First-place votes in parentheses
2010 BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Gina Scioscia, Notre Dame, Senior, Attack
2010 BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Liz Hogan, Syracuse, Junior, Goalkeeper
2010 BIG EAST Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Shaylyn Blaney, Notre Dame, Junior, Attack/Midfield
Brooke Cantwell, Rutgers, Senior, Midfield
Christina Dove, Syracuse, Senior, Midfield
Cara Filippelli, Loyola, Junior, Midfield
Bergan Foley, Louisville, Junior, Attack
Molly Ford, Georgetown, Senior, Attack
Grace Gavin, Loyola, Junior, Midfield
Rachel Guerrera, Notre Dame, Senior, Defense
Liz Hogan, Syracuse, Junior, Goalkeeper
Ashby Kaestner, Georgetown, Senior, Midfield
Halley Quillinan, Syracuse, Senior, Attack/Midfield
Lindsay Rogers, Syracuse, Senior, Defense
Gina Scioscia, Notre Dame, Senior, Attack
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