---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Pam Flenke <
PFlenke@bigeast.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 9:59 AM
Subject: Florida Is BIG EAST Preseason Women’s Lacrosse Favorite
To:
For Immediate Release (Jan. 27, 2016)
Online: bit.ly/1Sb9HsK
Contact: Pam Flenke, Assistant Commissioner
Florida Is BIG EAST Preseason Women’s Lacrosse Favorite
Gators place five on Preseason All-BIG EAST Team while Villanova’s Froccaro and Connecticut’s Kwasnowski claim major honors.
NEW YORK – Reigning BIG EAST women’s lacrosse champion Florida was picked to repeat in 2016 in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll which the league announced on Wednesday. The Gators, entering their second season in BIG EAST women’s lacrosse action, earned six first-place votes to edge runner-up Connecticut in the poll. UConn’s Lauren Kwasnowski was tabbed BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while Villanova’s Jackie Froccaro was voted Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Florida totaled 46 points to beat out the Huskies’ 44-point total. UConn collected the remaining two first-place votes, while 2016 BIG EAST Championship host Georgetown was tabbed third with 36 points. Entering its second season in the league, Vanderbilt placed fourth with 31 points, followed by Villanova in fifth (26), Temple in sixth (20), Marquette in seventh (13) and Cincinnati eighth (eight). Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team or players.
The Gators went 15-6 overall and 6-1 in BIG EAST play in 2015, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Florida returns four of its top five scorers from that squad, including unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selection Mollie Stevens, who scored 43 goals and notched nine assists last season to rank second on the team in points (52). Stevens was one of five preseason all-league selections for the Gators, with Stevens, Caroline Fitzgerald and Devon Schneider uncontested picks. Taylor Bresnahan and Sammi Burgess were also Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees. Florida averaged over 17 goals per game during their first season as an associate member of the BIG EAST, limiting opponents to just over five goals per game.
Florida graduated Tewaaraton Award Finalist Shannon Gilroy, who not only led the BIG EAST in points and goals, but finished in the top five nationally in both categories. Gilroy was unanimously selected BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year in 2015, while Fitzgerald, Schneider and Stevens were also All-BIG EAST First Team picks.
Kwasnowski earned BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015 after anchoring the UConn defense which finished the year ranked fourth in the nation in caused turnovers (10.22), with Kwasnowski ranking 10th among all Division I players at 1.94 per game. The senior earned All-America Second Team plaudits and was invited to the U.S. National Team tryouts at season’s end.
The Huskies advanced to the BIG EAST Championship title game for the first time last season, finishing the year with an 11-7 overall record and 5-2 in league play.
Connecticut was the only team to hand the Gators a loss in league play last season, while its two conference losses were by one goal apiece. The Huskies listed second to Florida in goals per game and goals against average and welcome back a strong core from that squad, including Kwasnowski, and fellow unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections Katherine Finkelston and Shannon Nee. Grace Nolan also claimed preseason honors. Finkelston ranked third in the league with 2.22 goals per game while Nee’s .471 save percentage ranked second.
Backed by unanimous preseason all-league selection Kristen Bandos and fellow honoree Corinne Etchison,
Georgetown was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST. In total, the Hoyas return eight starters and 21 letterwinners from the 2015 team which went 7-10 overall and shared the BIG EAST regular-season title with Florida following a 6-1 finish to league play. Georgetown missed out on the national postseason last year after back-to-back appearances at the NCAAs, and will aim to earn its 15th NCAA bid overall in 2016. Bandos and Etchison ranked third and fourth on the team in points last season, with Bandos leading all Hoyas with 29 goals scored.
Vanderbilt went 4-3 during its first season of BIG EAST play in 2015, totaling a 7-9 record overall, most notably dealing UConn a double-overtime setback. Three Commodores were voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including the league’s No. 3 points-earner last season, Mallory Schonk. Schonk averaged 3.25 points per game, scoring 32 goals and registering 20 assists over 16 games played. Vandy returns its top seven scorers from 2015, with assists leader Jill Doherty (23) and key midfielder Alexa Kunowsky joining Schonk on the preseason all-league squad.
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Jackie Froccaro led
Villanova to its first appearance in the BIG EAST Championship in 2015 after the Wildcats finished in a tie for fourth place with Vanderbilt at 4-3. Froccaro’s goals and points averages ranked second to only Gilroy last season, with the Villanova attacker averaging 2.88 goals and 3.35 points per contest. Her 4.47 draw controls per game was tops among all BIG EAST players and ranked 16th nationally. Along with Froccaro, the Wildcats return 11 starters from last season’s team which went 9-8 overall, its first winning season since joining the BIG EAST. Defensive specialist Sam Scarfogliero joined Froccaro on the preseason all-league team, finishing 2015 with team highs of 28 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls (fifth in the BIG EAST).
Nicole Tiernan represented
Temple, which was slated sixth in the poll, on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Tiernan’s 2.19 goals per game average ranked fourth in the conference last year, leading the Owls to a 10-6 overall record while going 2-5 in league games. Temple opened the year winning seven of its first eight before cooling off, but remained among the highest scoring teams in the league at 10.06 goals per game. The Owls’ top-six scorers from 2015 return this season, as well as season goalkeeper Jaqi Kakalecik.
Marquette (seventh) and
Cincinnati (eighth) rounded out the coaches’ poll. MU’s Elizabeth Goslee, a mainstay on the Golden Eagle defense, was voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Goslee totaled 30 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers last season, ranking fourth in the conference with a 1.76 CT average. She is one of 10 starters back for Marquette this season. MU went 5-12 overall and 1-6 in league play, while Cincinnati posted a 2-15 mark and 0-7 in BIG EAST games. Courtney Curtis leads the returning class for the Bearcats after scoring 37 goals in 2015 to rank fifth in the BIG EAST.
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Jackie Froccaro, Villanova, Grad., A
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Lauren Kwasnowski, Connecticut, Sr., D
Women’s Lacrosse Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Kristen Bandos, Georgetown, Sr., M*
Taylor Bresnahan, Florida, Jr., D
Sammi Burgess, Florida, Jr., A
Jill Doherty, Vanderbilt, Jr., M
Corinne Etchison, Georgetown, Sr., A
Katherine Finkelston, Connecticut, Sr., A*
Caroline Fitzgerald, Florida, Jr., D*
Jackie Froccaro, Villanova, Grad., A*
Elizabeth Goslee, Marquette, Sr., D
Alexa Kunowsky, Vanderbilt, Sr., M
Lauren Kwasnowski, Connecticut, Sr., D*
Shannon Nee, Connecticut, Sr., GK*
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, So., A
Sam Scarfogliero, Villanova, Jr., D
Devon Schneider, Florida, Sr., A*
Mallory Schonk, Vanderbilt, Sr., A
Mollie Stevens, Florida, Jr., M*
Nicole Tiernan, Temple, M*
^extra players added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection
BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
(first-place votes)
1.Florida (6) – 46
2.Connecticut (2) – 44
3.Georgetown – 36
4.Vanderbilt – 31
5.Villanova – 26
6.Temple – 20
7.Marquette – 13
8.Cincinnati – 8