NEW YORK – 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. The preseason poll and awards are selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own team or players.
Following Denver and Georgetown in the poll were 2019 BIG EAST Championship participants Villanova and Marquette. The Wildcats earned 16 points to snag third place, while the Golden Eagles collected 14 for fourth. Old Dominion followed in fifth place with nine points, while Butler rounded out the poll with five points for sixth place.
Denver went 16-4 overall in 2019, including 5-0 in BIG EAST play to clinch its first regular-season title. The Pioneers earned their fourth NCAA Championship berth, receiving an at-large bid following a runner-up finish in the BIG EAST Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Pioneers finished second nationally in scoring defense (7.30), along with the second-highest assists average at 8.35 per game. Denver, led by head coach Liza Kelly, were unanimously selected BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The Pioneers, entering their fourth season of BIG EAST play as an affiliate member, were tabbed 10th in the 2020 IWLCA Preseason Poll.
Hoch-Bullen was one of five Denver players selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team and one of three selected unanimously. The reigning BIG EAST Attacker of the Year totaled 59 goals and 71 points over 20 games last season to rank third among all conference players. In BIG EAST play, she led the conference in points per game (4.4) and listed second in goals per game (3.4). She was an IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region First Team selection following her sophomore campaign.
Hudson led the Georgetown defense to an 8.21 goals against average in BIG EAST play in 2019. The senior defender collected 3.20 ground balls per game against conference opponents to rank second, while she also provided the game-winning goal at Villanova on April 13. Hudson totaled 23 caused turnovers and 47 ground balls on the year. She was a Second Team All-South Region honoree and a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST honoree. Hudson was one of four Preseason All-BIG EAST Team honorees for the Hoyas, including one of two unanimous selections.
Hoch-Bullen and Hudson were two of eight unanimous All-BIG EAST Team picks along with Denver senior midfielder Molly Little, Denver senior goalkeeper Carson Gregg, Georgetown senior midfielder Natalia Lynch and a trio of Villanova players in sophomore defender Sydney Frank, senior midfielder Grainger Rosati and senior attacker Liz Trojan. Little (Third Team), Hoch-Bullen (Honorable Mention) and Hudson (Third Team) were named Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans last week.
Gregg is the reigning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, finishing second nationally in goals against average (7.68) while holding BIG EAST foes to a 7.61 average. Little was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2019 after posting the top caused turnover average (3.0) and second-best draw controls clip (6.2) in BIG EAST play. Lynch did it all for the Hoyas in 2019, finishing within the top five in the BIG EAST in assists, draw controls, caused turnovers and game-winning goals over 17 games played. Trojan finished third on Villanova with 45 points, including a team-high 34 goals. Frank started all 18 games for the Wildcats, totaling 29 ground balls and 19 draw controls. Rosati stuffed the stat sheet with 27 points, 23 ground balls, 52 draw controls and 17 caused turnovers.
In total, 17 student-athletes were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Denver led all squads with five selections, with Eliza Rodochonski and Hannah Liddy joining Little, Hoch-Bullen and Gregg as honorees, 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.
Georgetown claimed its second BIG EAST Championship crown with a double-overtime win over Denver in Milwaukee, Wis., last spring. The double-overtime magic continued in the NCAA First Round with a 13-12 win over Penn, before the Hoyas fell at No. 5 Syracuse to conclude the year with a 12-9 record, including 3-2 BIG EAST mark. In addition to Hudson and Lynch, senior attacker Michaela Bruno and junior defender Mollie Miller were also Preseason All-BIG EAST selections. The Hoyas were tabbed 19th in the 2020 IWLCA Preseason Poll.
Villanova ended the regular season in a three-way tie for second place at 3-2 with Georgetown and Marquette as the Wildcats punched their first postseason ticket since 2015. VU finished the campaign 10-8, the most wins in program history. Sophomore goalkeeper Alexa Moro was also honored as a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection.
Led by a trio of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections, Marquette was tabbed fourth. The Golden Eagles qualified for their second straight BIG EAST Championship in 2019, tying with Georgetown and Villanova with a 3-2 conference mark to finish in second place. Garcia was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad by junior midfielder Madison Kane and junior defender Jocelyn Miller.
Now in its second season as a BIG EAST women’s lacrosse affiliate member, Old Dominion posted a 4-13 overall record and 1-4 mark in league play in 2019. Johnson paced the Monarchs and finished among the conference leaders with 53 goals and 3.53 goals per game.
Entering its fourth season of Division I lacrosse, Butler went 3-14 overall and 0-5 in BIG EAST play in 2019. Among their top returners is leading scorer Ashley Guerra, who totaled 45 points off 28 goals and 17 assists.
BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Denver 25 (5)
2. Georgetown 21 (1)
3. Villanova 16
4. Marquette 14
5. Old Dominion 9
6. Butler 5
(first-place votes)
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Denver, Jr., A
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Katie Hudson, Georgetown, Sr., D
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Carson Gregg, Denver, Sr., GK*
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, Denver, Jr., A*
Hannah Liddy, Denver, Jr., A
Molly Little, Denver, Sr., M*
Eliza Radochonski, Denver, Jr., A
Michaela Bruno, Georgetown, Sr., A
Katie Hudson, Georgetown, Sr., D*
Natalia Lynch, Georgetown, Sr., M*
Mollie Miller, Georgetown, Jr., D
Shea Garcia, Marquette, So., A
Madison Kane, Marquette, Jr., M
Jocelyn Miller, Marquette, Jr., D
Glory Johnson, Old Dominion, Sr., A
Sydney Frank, Villanova, So., D*
Alexa Moro, Villanova, So., GK
Grainger Rosati, Villanova, Sr., M*
Liz Trojan, Villanova, Sr., A*
*unanimous selection
^extra players added due to a tie in voting