NEWTON, Mass. (2/16/17) -- The Lasell College women's lacrosse team was predicted to finish first in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) preseason poll, as announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon.

Coming off a 13-7 season and its first GNAC championship since 2013, Lasell earned 89 total points and garnered five first-place votes in the annual ranking of the league's ten head coaches. Johnson & Wales and St. Joseph's of Maine followed behind as the top three teams in the poll, and were separated by just three points. Three coaches tabbed the third-place Monks in the top spot, while JWU and fourth-place Emmanuel earned one first-place vote apiece.

The Lasers finished GNAC play with a 6-3 record, winning four of its final five games before the postseason to finish second. Lasell downed Simmons, which was picked fifth to open this season, and St. Joe's before upsetting the top-seeded Wildcats, 12-9, to win the title.

Five players earned All-GNAC honors in 2016, including current junior Taylor Yandow (Moretown, Vt.) on the First Team and sophomore Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.) on the Third. Yandow led the Lasers in scoring last season, scoring 52 goals and 64 points while playing in all 20 games, while 28 of McComb's 30 points were goals as a freshman.

Lasell opens its season with a pair of road games, beginning at Salve Regina on Thursday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. After visiting Wheaton two days later, the Lasers open their home schedule against Curry on Thursday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m.