#2 Stony Brook Unanimously Tabbed 2018 #AEWLAX Favorite
BOSTON – After nearly reaching the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Final Four in 2017, Stony Brook is the unanimous America East favorites in 2018. The voting was conducted by the conference’s eight head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Stony Brook, which is ranked 2nd in the both preseason national polls after going 20-1 last season, received all seven possible first-place votes and 49 points. Albany, which received an NCAA at-large bid last year, came in second with 41 points while UMBC earned 39 points and the final first-place vote. Here is the full poll:
2018 #AEWLAX Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Stony Brook (7 1st-place votes), 49 pts – unanimous selection
2. Albany, 41
3. UMBC, 39 (1)
4. New Hampshire, 27
T5. Binghamton, 22
Vermont, 22
7. UMass Lowell, 17
8. Hartford, 7
Stony Brook advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history last season and nearly reached the Final Four, falling to eventual national champion Maryland in the Elite Eight, 13-12.
Kylie Ohlmiller, the reigning America East Offensive Player of the Year, headlines the league’s returning players. She was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award last year, the first America East women's lacrosse student-athlete to be named a finalist. The Seawolves also bring back Courtney Murphy, who set an NCAA record by scoring 100 goals in 2016, after she missed most of last season due to injury.
The 2018 campaign begins the weekend of Feb. 10 with New Hampshire and Binghamton in action. The remaining teams open up the following weekend, with the exception of Hartford, which opens Feb. 24 as it begins its inaugural season. The top four teams in the conference standings will qualify for the America East Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which will be held at tournament's No. 1 seed. The semifinals take place on May 3 and the championship tilt on May 5, a game that will air on ESPN3.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
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