Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Receive Votes in IWLCA National Poll
2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Feb. 16, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern women's lacrosse team, which begins the 2004 season this weekend, was among the teams receiving votes when the Intercollege Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) released its preseason Top 20 national poll last week.
The Wildcats went 8-8 last year, and spent a few weeks in the poll.
"It is great that some coaches have shown us the recognition and believe we belong in the poll," said head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "Now it is up to our women to prove that we belong up there. We are excited to get started on this season."
Two-time defending national champion Princeton is the preseason favorite to three-peat; theTigers are followed by three Atlantic Coast Conference teams -- Maryland, Virginia and Duke.
Northwestern, which returns all of its starters from a year ago, has a chance to make an immediate statement this weekend. After Friday's season opener at Davidson, the 'Cats are at Duke Sunday.
NU was also picked to finish fifth in the American Lacrosse Conference, in a preseason vote of the league's seven head coaches. Ohio State was picked to win the ALC, edging Penn State by just three voting points. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions tied for the league crown last year. 2002 champion Vanderbilt was picked third, while Johns Hopkins was picked fourth. All of the teams picked ahead of the Wildcats in the ALC poll were also among the Top 20 in the national poll.
Click here to view the complete preseason IWLCA national poll. The ALC preseason poll is listed below.
ALC Preseason Poll
by vote of the head coaches (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Ohio State (4), 46 voting points
2. Penn State (2), 43
3. Vanderbilt (1), 35
4. Johns Hopkins, 28
5. Northwestern, 21
6. Ohio, 15
7. Davidson, 8
