Opening Weekend
Five of six BIG EAST women’s lacrosse teams begin their 2020 seasons this weekend. Of the five matchups, two are against ranked teams, including a top-20 battle between BIG EAST preseason favorite No. 10/10 Denver and No. 20/RV Stanford, Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Marquette has the other ranked foe as the Golden Eagles visit No. 7/7 Notre Dame at noon on Sunday. Other Saturday lid lifters include Villanova at William & Mary (1 p.m.), Coastal Carolina at Old Dominion (1 p.m.) and Saint Joseph’s at No. 19/19 Georgetown at 2 p.m. Rounding out the BIG EAST lineup, Butler will not play its first game of the year until Feb. 16 when it hosts Hanover College at 1 p.m.
In The Polls
Two BIG EAST squads enter the year ranked as both Denver and Georgetown were included in the IWLCA and
Inside Lacrosse Media Preseason Polls. Coming off a trip to the program’s first NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, the Pioneers were slotted 10
th in both polls. Denver went 16-4 in 2019 and claimed its first BIG EAST regular-season title. The Hoyas finished the 2019 season with 12 wins as well as a BIG EAST Championship and the first trip to the NCAA Tournament Second Round since 2014. GU was slotted 19
th in both national preseason polls.
Preseason Round Up
Denver was unanimously selected as the BIG EAST women’s lacrosse preseason favorite based on a vote of the league’s head coaches. The reigning regular-season champion Pioneers earned all five available first-place votes for a total of 25 points, edging out 2019 BIG EAST Championship winners Georgetown, which totaled 21 points and the remaining first-place nod. The Pioneers and Hoyas also claimed the two preseason major awards as Denver junior attacker Quintin Hoch-Bullen was voted BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Georgetown senior defender Katie Hudson was tabbed BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. In total, 17 student-athletes were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Denver led all squads with five selections, followed by Georgetown and Villanova with four apiece. Marquette had three honorees including reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Shea Garcia, while Old Dominion rounded out the list with senior attacker Glory Johnson. A trio of BIG EAST players were named to the
Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American Teams as well, in Hoch-Bullen (Honorable Mention), Hudson (Third Team) and Denver’s Molly Little (Third Team).
Weekend Ahead
Saturday
Villanova at William & Mary, 1 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Old Dominion, 1 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s at 19/19 Georgetown, 2 p.m.
20/RV Stanford at 10/10 Denver, 3 p.m.
Sunday
Marquette at 7/7 Notre Dame, Noon
All times Eastern