Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Are Preseason No. 3 by Lacrosse Magazine
1/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Jan. 10, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. - After a spectacular 2004 campaign, the secret was out about the Northwestern women's lacrosse team. In 2005, there will be no sneaking up on anybody.
Lacrosse Magazine released its preseason poll recently, and the Wildcats were picked third nationally. NU is behind only last year's NCAA finalists, champion Virginia (which defeated the 'Cats in an NCAA quarterfinal en route to the national title) at No. 1 and runner-up Princeton at No. 2.
"It is great to receive this recognition from Lacrosse Magazine," said NU head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who leads the program into just its fourth varsity season this spring. "Our program has gained momentum with each season, and we are looking forward to the upcoming campaign. We hope to continue developing as individuals and as a unit each day."
Northwestern went 15-3 last year -- highlighted by a 13-game winning streak -- and won a share of the American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) title with Vanderbilt. All but one Wildcat player return from that team for the 2005 campaign; in fact, all of NU's seven leading scorers from a year ago have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
NU is one of four ALC teams in the Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll -- Johns Hopkins is sixth, Vanderbilt is 14th and Penn State is 19th.
Northwestern will start the season with a tough test, traveling to North Carolina to take on the preseason No. 8 Tar Heels on Saturday, Feb. 20.
Lacrosse Magazine 2005 Preseason Poll
1. Virginia
2. Princeton
3. Northwestern
4. Duke*
5. Maryland
6. Johns Hopkins*
7. North Carolina*
8. James Madison
9. Georgetown
10. Loyola (Md.)
11. Dartmouth
12. Notre Dame*
13. Syracuse
14. Vanderbilt*
15. Towson
16. George Mason
17. William & Mary
18. Yale
19. Penn State*
20. Boston University
*teams on the 2005 Northwestern lacrosse schedule
