Big East Conference

NEW YORK – Three-time reigning BIG EAST women’s lacrosse champion Florida was unanimously selected to win a fourth league crown as the Conference announced its annual Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Friday. The Gators collected six Preseason All-BIG EAST Team certificates, including a pair by BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Lindsey Ronbeck and Defensive Player of the Year Haley Hicklen.
 
Florida claimed all nine available first-place votes for 81 points, while 2017 runner-up Denver garnered the other top vote and 73 points for second-place honors. Georgetown placed third with 62 points, followed by Temple in fourth (56 points) and Connecticut in fifth (49). Vanderbilt and Marquette tied for sixth with 37 points apiece, with Villanova (27 points), Cincinnati (19) and Butler (9) rounding out the poll. The BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, major awards and all-conference selections are based on ballots cast by the league’s 10 head coaches, who cannot vote for their own teams or student-athletes.
 
In three seasons as a BIG EAST affiliate member in women’s lacrosse, Florida has tallied a 22-1 conference record, having won 16 consecutive league matches by an average victory of over 11 goals per game. The Gators have never lost a BIG EAST Championship match, going 6-0 in three postseason appearances, winning each of those contests by an average of 9.5 goals. Florida went 17-3 overall last year, 9-0 in BIG EAST play, peaking as high as No. 2 in the national polls and earning its seventh NCAA Championship berth.
 
Florida is led by BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Lindsey Ronbeck and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Haley Hicklen. A junior attacker, Ronbeck is the Gators’ top returning scorer, totaling 25 goals over nine BIG EAST games last year while going for 73 points off 53 goals and 20 assists overall. The junior Hicklen started all 20 games in net for the Gators last year and posted the top goals against average and save percentage among every day starters in the BIG EAST with a 5.39 GAA and .582 save clip. Ronbeck and Hicklen were unanimous selections to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, as was junior midfielder Sydney Pirreca. Florida also had senior attacker Shayna Pirreca, senior midfielder Allie Pavinelli and sophomore defender Cara Trombetta named to the preseason squad.
 
In its first season as a BIG EAST affiliate member in women’s lacrosse in 2017, Denver posted a 14-4 record, including 7-2 in conference play. The Pioneers advanced to the BIG EAST Championship final before falling to Florida, thanks to one of the top defenses in the league which averaged 12.56 caused turnovers per contest. Denver returns its top offensive threat in 2018 with unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Kendra Lanuza. The junior attacker averaged a BIG EAST-best 2.78 assists per game last year and listed second in the league with a 4.56 points per game average. Julia Feiss was also named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team and is the BIG EAST’s top returning goal scorer after scoring 2.89 per contest over nine league games. Feiss also finished fourth in points per game (4.00) while her three game winners were tied for the league lead.
 
Georgetown made its 11^th consecutive BIG EAST Championship appearance in 2017, finishing the season 9-9 overall and 7-2 in BIG EAST play to tie Denver for second in the standings. Preseason All-BIG EAST unanimous selection Francesca Whitehurst was the Hoyas’ top facilitator last season, posting team highs of 19 assists and 73 draw controls, with her 4.00 DCs per game in league play ranking fifth in the conference. GU’s No. 2 scorer, Morgan Ryan, also garnered Preseason All-BIG EAST accolades after totaling 34 goals, 14 assists and 48 points in 2017.
 
Temple made its second straight trip to the BIG EAST Championship in 2017 after finishing fourth in the standings with a 6-3 record, 13-5 mark overall. Senior defender Nicole Latgis was an uncontested pick to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team after posting the top ground balls average in the league in 2017 at 3.00 per game, along with the second-best caused turnover clip (1.89).
 
Connecticut narrowly missed the BIG EAST Championship field in 2017 after finishing fifth at 5-4 and 8-8 overall. The Huskies had made the last four conference tournaments and will look to get back there this season, led by a pair of Preseason All-BIG EAST picks. Senior attacker Grace Nolan was a unanimous selection after leading the BIG EAST with a 4.89 points per game average over nine league contests. Nolan added 2.78 goals and 2.11 assists. Cassie Ekstrom is the Huskies’ top defender, totaling 40 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers in 16 appearances overall.
 
Picked tied for sixth in the preseason, Marquette and Vanderbilt each claimed one Preseason All-BIG EAST Team certificate. Grace Gabriel led the Golden Eagles to a 6-11 overall record, 4-5 BIG EAST mark, in 2017 and led the league in draw controls per game at 5.67. Gabriel was a unanimous preseason pick after totaling 41 goals in 17 games last season. Junior midfielder Julie Blaze is the Commodores’ top returning scorer after totaling 38 points off 33 goals and five assists as a sophomore. Blaze picked up an All-BIG EAST Preseason nod after finishing fifth in the conference with six free-position goals last season.
 
Villanova’s Katie Comerford rounds out the Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees. The reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year finished her rookie campaign third in goals per game (2.78) and fifth in points (3.89) over nine conference contests. The Wildcats went 4-14 overall and 2-7 in conference action to tie for eighth place with Cincinnati. The Bearcats posted a 6-11 overall record with rookie Monica Borzillo leading the way with a 4.29 points per game average, second-best in overall games in the BIG EAST. Butler wrapped up its first season of Division I lacrosse with a 1-16 mark, 0-9 in BIG EAST, with Journey Fischbeck and Haley Hallenbeck both reaching the 20-goal mark on the year.