(02-27-08)
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – Defending NCAA Division II and ECC Champion C.W. Post has been chosen as preseason favorites in the East Coast Conference women’s lacrosse poll, as voted upon by the conference coaches. University of New Haven was picked in a tie for third place, while Brigid Brady and Ashley Griffin (photo) were both picked to the Preseason All-Conference squad.
The Pioneers, under a new head coach for 2008, posted a perfect 17-0 season in 2007 including a 5-0 ECC mark to capture the conference title. The Pioneers topped Stonehill College in the NCAA national semifinals and went on to defeat West Chester for the title.
C.W. Post earned 48 points, including six first place votes in the polling, edging second-place Adelphi (43 points, one first place vote). There was a tie for third between the University of New Haven and Philadelphia University (28 points each). UNH defeated Philly, then ranked 10th in the nation, in the regular-season finale last year to cap off a 7-10 record under then-first year head coach Jen Fallon.
The remainder of the field included a Molloy College (26), St. Thomas Aquinas College (16) and Dowling College (7). Dowling will be fielding a varsity program for the first time in 2008.
UNH's Brady and Griffin were both selected to the Preseason All-Conference team. Griffin started all 17 games on defense last season and tied for fourth on the team with 12 caused turnovers. Brady was one of the league's top offensive players, earning Second Team All-North Region from the IWLCA and a Second Team All-East Coast Conference award for second consecutive year. She led UNH in goals and points and was eighth in NCAA Division II in goals per game and 30th nationally in points per game. She broke the single-season school records in both goals and points, and has already broken school’s career records in both categories.
Adelphi junior attack Rachel Ray was the coaches’ pick as preseason Player of the Year. Ray, a First Team ECC selection last year, notched 40 goals and 33 assists for 73 points and added 45 groundballs and went on to earn IWLCA All American accolades.
Joining Brady, Griffin and Ray on the preseason all conference first team were Adelphi's Aly Tumulty; Jackie Napoli, Mallory Poole, Katie Hogan, Lauren Scipione and Kimberly Williams of C.W. Post; Rebecca LaFlare and Kelly LaClair of Molloy; Jessica Snyder of Philadelphia; and Kimberly DeLorenzo of St. Thomas Aquinas.
2008 ECC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
(First place votes in parentheses)
School, Points, 2007 Record (ECC)
C.W. Post (6), 48, 17-0 (5-0)
Adelphi (1), 43, 13-2 (4-1)
New Haven, 28, 7-10 (2-3)
Philadelphia, 28, 10-4 (2-3)
Molloy, 26, 6-9 (2-3)
St. Thomas Aquinas, 16, 6-10 (0-5)
Dowling, 7, 0-0 (0-0)
Preseason All Conference Team
Name, Yr., Pos., School, Hometown
Aly Tumulty (1)(R), So., A, Adelphi, Rocky Point, N.Y.
Rebecca LaFlare, So., A, Molloy, Lindenhurst
Brigid Brady (2), Jr., A, New Haven, Islip Terrace, N.Y.
Jackie Napoli (1), Jr., A, C.W. Post, West Islip, N.Y.
Rachel Ray (1), Jr., M, Adelphi, Rocky Point, N.Y.
Mallory Poole (1), Sr., M, C.W. Post, Corning, N.Y.
Kimberly DeLorenzo (2), Sr., M, St. Thomas Aquinas, Valley Cottage, N.Y.
Katie Hogan (1), Jr., M, C.W. Post, Farmingdale, N.Y.
Kimberly Williams, So., D, C.W. Post, West Morris, N.J.
Kelly LaClair (2), Jr., D, Molloy, Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Ashley Griffin, Jr., D, New Haven, Waterboro, Maine
Jessica Snyder, Sr., D, Philadelphia, Princeton, N.J.
Lauren Scipione, Sr., GK, C.W. Post, East Meadow, N.Y.
Preseason Player of the Year: Rachel Ray, Adelphi
(1) First Team 2007
(2) Second Team 2007
(R) Rookie of the Year, 2007
