GRAND LAKE, Colo. (February 10, 2011) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women’s lacrosse team is ranked 10th in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Preseason Poll, it was announced Thursday morning. The Ducks are coming off a year in which they finished 17-3 overall and won their first-ever Empire 8 title. Stevens also won for the first time in the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship, downing Montclair State University in the tournament’s first round.
The reigning National Champion Salisbury University tops the poll and is followed by Hamilton College, Franklin & Marshall College, The College of New Jersey, Gettysburg College, SUNY Cortland, Trinity College (Conn.), Colby College, Williams College, and Stevens.
The Ducks will square off against four teams featured in the rankings in No. 4 TCNJ, No. 5 Gettysburg, No. 12 Tufts University, and No. 14 Middlebury College.
During 2010, Stevens defeated two top-10 teams in eighth-ranked Union College and No. 3 TCNJ during the regular season. Stevens outscored its opponents by 99 goals (286-187), had a margin of victory of 4.95 goals per game, and four players accumulated more than 50 points.
The Ducks finished the year ranked fourth in the nation in winning percentage (0.85), 13th in points (430), 25th in draw controls per game (15), 32nd in scoring margin, 36th in defense, 38th in offense, and 42nd in caused turnovers.
Stevens will begin the 2011 season at Montclair on March 5.