Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/1/21
West Chester was selected No. 5 in Division II when the IWLCA Preseason poll was released today.
West Chester was off to a strong start when the 2020 campaign was shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic. That has expectations soaring for the 2021 version of the Golden Rams under veteran head coach Ginny Martino. West Chester was one of two schools from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to be ranked in the preseason poll. East Stroudsburg was the other, coming in at No. 8 in the polls.
The Golden Rams’ efforts to return to the NCAA Championship Game are bolstered by the return of fifth-year senior defender Molly Reinhart (Wilson). Reinhart was tabbed a preseason All-American by US Lacrosse last month. She will headline a defensive unit that also features goalkeeper, Julianne Clemens (Springfield-Delco), who is back for her senior season as a three-year incumbent in the cage.
Lindenwood was picked atop the preseason poll with Queens (N.C.) slated second and LeMoyne picked third. Adelphi, the defending national champion from 2019, was fourth in the rankings and Indianapolis (UIndy) fifth. Just behind West Chester, but in front of East Stroudsburg, was Rollins, which came in seventh. Tampa and Grand Valley State rounded out the Top 10, respectively.
West Chester opens the 2021 campaign on St. Patrick’s Day at Shippensburg. The Golden Rams host Millersville on March 20 for its home opener at 1 p.m.
IWLCA D2 Preseason Rankings
| Rank | Institution | Points | FPV | Record | 2020 Final Poll |
| 1 | Adelphi | 587 | 4 | 0-0 | 4 |
| 2 | Lindenwood (MO) | 586 | 10 | 0-0 | 5 |
| 3 | Le Moyne | 572 | 7 | 0-0 | 1 |
| 4 | Queens (North Carolina) | 555 | 1 | 0-0 | 3 |
| 5 | West Chester | 522 | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| 6 | UIndy | 502 | 1 | 0-0 | 6 |
| 7 | Rollins | 462 | 0 | 0-0 | 8 |
| 8 | Florida Southern | 443 | 1 | 0-0 | 7 |
| 9 | Tampa | 426 | 0 | 0-0 | 9 |
| 10 | East Stroudsburg | 399 | 0 | 0-0 | 12 |
| 11 | Grand Valley State | 368 | 0 | 0-0 | 10 |
| 12 | Mercy | 334 | 0 | 0-0 | 11 |
| 13 | Limestone | 285 | 0 | 0-0 | 17 |
| 14 | Regis (Colorado) | 277 | 0 | 0-0 | 14 |
| 15 | New Haven | 262 | 0 | 0-0 | 13 |
| 16 | Assumption | 241 | 0 | 0-0 | 15 |
| 17 | Bentley | 218 | 0 | 0-0 | 16 |
| 18 | Saint Anselm | 173 | 0 | 0-0 | 20 |
| 19 | Saint Leo | 133 | 0 | 0-0 | 18 |
| 20 | Florida Tech | 126 | 0 | 0-0 | 25 |
| 21 | Mount Olive | 123 | 0 | 0-0 | 19 |
| 22 | Concordia-St. Paul | 107 | 0 | 0-0 | NR |
| 23 | Mercyhurst | 99 | 0 | 0-0 | T-22 |
| 24 | Roberts Wesleyan | 86 | 0 | 0-0 | 21 |
| 25 | Pace | 84 | 0 | 0-0 | 24 |
