Centennial Conference women's preseason poll: F&M picked first, Haverford College No. 5

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/20/22
From Press Release

Defending champion Franklin & Marshall – led by many Philly grads – edged Gettysburg for the top spot in the 2022 Centennial Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll. The Diplomats totaled 78 points and six first-place votes, while the Bullets were close behind in second place with 76 points and the other four first-place tallies.

Washington College earned third place in the vote among CC head coaches with 64 points, while Dickinson (51) and Haverford (50) were also projected as playoff teams in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

McDaniel landed sixth in the voting with 38 points, followed by Muhlenberg (32), Swarthmore (27), Ursinus (25), and Bryn Mawr (9).

The 2022 campaign begins on Saturday, Feb. 19 with four CC squads in action, while all 10 conference teams will open up their seasons by Feb. 26. Conference play commences on Saturday, March 26 and continues through the end of April. The five-team CC Tournament will begin with the opening round on May 4, followed by the semifinals and championship on May 7-8, hosted by the No. 1 seed.

No teams other than Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg has captured a Centennial women’s lacrosse title since 2001 – can 2022 be the year that another CC squad rises above these perennial powers? Time will tell, but as evidenced by the CC preseason poll, conference head coaches expect another strong campaign from both the Diplomats and Bullets.

In a shortened 2021 season with no conference tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, F&M secured the CC title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 5-0 conference record, including a 17-14 victory over Gettysburg on the final game of the regular season to clinch the team crown. The Diplomats eventually fell to William Smith in the NCAA second round, concluding the year with a 7-1 overall record.

Another talented group returns to the Centennial this spring, with 19 All-Centennial, 10 All-Region, and four All-Americans back with their respective teams in 2022.

The F&M quartet of Emily Kitchin (Sr., GK), Marissa McGarrey (Sr., M, Baldwin), Ally Marino (Sr., A, Episcopal Academy) and Mary Pat McKenna (Jr., D, Spring-Ford) headline the list of returning CC players after representing the Centennial on the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association (IWLCA) All-America team last spring. Kitchin leads the way as a two-time All-America pick, and was a 2021 first-team selection along with McGarry. Marino and McKenna nabbed second team accolades last year. McGarrey (CC Midfielder of the Year) and McKenna (CC Defensive Player of the Year) are also the reigning CC major award winners at their respective positions.

Muhlenberg’s Ariella Lerner (Sr., A) is back for the Mules after nabbing second team accolades last spring.

F&M (7) and Gettysburg (9) are both ranked among the top-10 in the IWLCA Preseason Poll.

2022 Centennial Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll

Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) Points