Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/3/18
From Press Release
The Saint Joseph’s women’s lacrosse team has been predicted to finish in a tie for third, with George Mason, in the 2018 Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season standings, as voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches and announced on Thursday afternoon. The Hawks finished tied for second, with Richmond and George Mason, in league standings last spring and reached the semifinals of the 2017 A-10 postseason tournament.
Nine-time defending A-10 champion UMass took the top spot with six of nine possible first-place votes, while Richmond earned four first-place votes for second. The Hawks and Patriots earned 74 points apiece while Davidson (5th), La Salle (6th), VCU (7th), George Washington (8th), St. Bonaventure (9th), and Duquesne (10th) rounded out the 10-team poll.
The Hawks will kick off A-10 action with a pair of split weekends, including a home game vs. UMass (Mar. 29) and road game at VCU (Mar. 31) and a home game vs. Richmond (Apr. 6) and road game at Davidson (Apr. 8) before enjoying a full weekend at home against St. Bonaventure (Apr. 13) and Duquesne (Apr. 15). The Hawks will then close out the regular season with two of three contests on the road, at George Washington (Apr. 20), home vs. George Mason (Apr. 22), and at La Salle (Apr. 28).
The 2018 A-10 Championship will run from Thursday, May 3 through Sunday, May 6 at the University of Richmond’s Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va. The league’s top six teams will make the postseason field.
Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Alex Kahoe, Saint Joseph’s returns 24 letterwinners and nine starters from a year ago, including A-10 First Team defender Kristen Kelbon (Bishop Eustace-NJ), A-10 Second Team midfielder (and 2016 A-10 Rookie of the Year) Rebecca Lane, and All-Rookie midfielder Julia Pash. Saint Joseph’s went 7-2 in the A-10 regular season last spring, which included a 20-10 road win over George Mason, and reached the A-10 postseason for the second year in a row and for just the fourth time in program history.
2018 ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
1. Massachusetts – 96 (6 first-place votes)
2. Richmond – 94 (4 first-place vote)
T-3. George Mason – 74
T-3. Saint Joseph’s – 74
5. Davidson – 57
6. La Salle – 45
7. VCU – 38
8. George Washington – 32
9. St. Bonaventure – 21
10. Duquesne – 19