WINTHROP, Mass. – The Lasell University women's lacrosse team was picked to finished third out of 12 teams in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Three-time defending champion Johnson & Wales University topped the poll, taking home eight of the 12 first-place votes for 140 points. Last year's runner-up Regis College finished second, just eight points shy of JWU, collecting the other four first-place votes to account for 132 points. Lasell took the third spot with 120 points.
To round out the top-five teams in the ledger, Simmons University collected 97 points with Colby-Sawyer College just off that pace with 96 points. The remainder of the poll included Saint Joseph's College of Maine (90 points), Norwich University (71), Emmanuel College (69), Albertus Magnus College (48), Rivier University (36), University of Saint Joseph (22) and Anna Maria College (15).
The Lasers will look for their first GNAC title since 2016 and third overall when they open up with a pair of home games against Gordon College on Tuesday, March 3, and GNAC foe Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, March 7.
Lasell returns five of its six All-Conference selections from last season under 10th-year head coach Cait Connolly, led by First Team selection and GNAC Midfielder of the Year senior Jordan McComb (Cumberland, R.I.). Junior defender Caitie Grady (Southbury, Conn.) was a Second Team choice, and three Laser seniors earned Third Team nods a year ago – midfielder Amanda DiLeonardo (West Haven, Conn.), defender Brooke Landry (New Milford, Conn.) and goalie Morgan Choquet (Woonsocket, R.I.).
The 2020 GNAC Tournament will get underway with quarterfinal action on Saturday, April 25. The conference semifinals are slated for Tuesday, Apr. 28, with the highest remaining seed hosting the GNAC Championship on Saturday, May 2.
The GNAC Champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
2020 GNAC WLAX Preseason Poll
1. Johnson & Wales (8) - 140
2. Regis (4) - 132
3. Lasell - 120
4. Simmons - 97
5. Colby-Sawyer - 96
6. Saint Joseph's Maine - 90
7. Norwich - 71
8. Emmanuel - 69
9. Albertus Magnus - 48
10. Rivier - 36
11. St. Joseph (CT) - 22
12. Anna Maria - 15
(Courtesy of the GNAC Office)
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