Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/28/10
From Press Release and Staff Reports
Defending Colonial Athletic Association women’s lacrosse champion Towson is the preseason favorite to win the conference title again in 2010, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Towson received six first-place votes and 47 points in the poll, while William and Mary picked up the other two first-place votes and was second with 43 points. Delaware finished third with 34 points and was followed by Hofstra, James Madison, Old Dominion, George Mason and Drexel.
Towson, which returns 10 starters from last year’s 13-6 squad that captured its third CAA championship in the past four years, will be led by seniors Hillary Fratzke and Nikki Marcinik. Fratzke, who was named to the CAA’s 25th Anniversary Team, missed most of last season due to injury but led the league and ranked in the top-10 nationally with 86 points in her junior year in 2008. She was selected as the 2008 CAA Player of the Year and earned All-America honors. Marcinik led the CAA with 50 goals last season and scored in each of the team’s 19 contests.
William & Mary returns nine starters from last year’s 10-7 squad that won the CAA regular-season title and ranked in the top-20 in national polls. The Tribe will be led by preseason All-CAA selections Ashley Holofcener, Grace Golden and Sarah Jonson. Holofcener and Golden were both first team All-CAA members in 2009 and Jonson was named to the second team.
Delaware, last year’s runner-up at the CAA Championship, will attempt to capture its first-ever CAA Championship. The Blue Hens will be led by senior Courtney Aburn and Emily Schaknowski. Aburn currently ranks second all-time at Delaware with 87 draw controls and Schaknowski led the team with 20 goals and 13 assists to gain second team All CAA honors last season.
Hofstra finished fifth in the conference standings last season, but will be back looking for its first title since 2007. The Pride is led by junior Katie Hertsch and senior Corrine Gandolfi. Hertsch recorded 36 ground balls, 30 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers last season, while Gandolfi, a 2008 first team All-CAA selection, led the team with 45 goals and 25 assists and earned All-America status.
Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Towson (6) 47
2. William & Mary (2) 43
3. Delaware 34
4. Hofstra 32
5. James Madison 26
6. Old Dominion 16
7. George Mason 14
8. Drexel 12
2010 Preseason Women’s Lacrosse All-CAA Team
Name, School Pos. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Ashley Holofcener, W&M A Jr. Reisterstown, Md./St. Paul’s School
Ashley Kellogg, ODU A Sr. Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West
Katie Lawson, Drexel A Sr. Sewell, N.J./Washington Township
Mary Kate Lomady, JMU A Jr. Abington, Pa./Abington
Hillary Fratzke, Towson MF R-Sr. Centreville, Md./Queen Anne’s County
Corrine Gandolfi, Hofstra MF Sr. Smithtown, N.Y./Northport
Grace Golden, W&M MF Jr. Manhasset, N.Y./Sacred Heart Acad.
Kim Griffin, JMU MF Sr. Jarrettsville, Md./North Hartford
Nikki Marcinik, Towson MF Sr Deale, Md./Southern
Cally Chakrian, JMU D So. East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow
Katie Hertsch, Hofstra D Jr. Westminster, Md./Winter Mills/Ohio
Sarah Jonson, W&M D Jr. Dallas, Tex./The Hockaday School
Megan Mullis, Towson D Sr. Annapolis, Md./Broadneck
Sarah Geary, ODU GK So. Springfield, Pa./Springfield-Delco
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