University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Picked Second In Atlantic 10 Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
January 31, 2020 | Women's Lacrosse
AMHERST, Mass. – With one week until the 2020 season opener, the Massachusetts women's lacrosse team was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 in a preseason poll released by the conference on Friday. In addition, seniors Kaitlyn Cerasi and Stephanie Croke were selected to the A-10 Preseason All-Conference Team.
Richmond, the defending conference champion, was picked to win the league with six first-place votes, followed closely by the Minutewomen in second with four first-place votes. Saint Joseph's, George Mason and Duquesne were tabbed to finish in the third through fifth spots, respectively, followed by VCU, Davidson, George Washington, La Salle and St. Bonaventure.
Cerasi was an IWLCA All-Region Second Team, All-Atlantic 10 First Team and Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team selection as a junior last season. She led UMass in points and assist, had five game-winning goals including in OT vs. Richmond (Apr. 14). The Wantagh, N.Y. native was the quarterback of NCAA's second ranked offense and individually ranked third in the A-10 for total points and total assists. Nationally, she was 20th in total assists and 19th in assists per game (2.17 – 3rd among A-10 players), and her 4.78 points per game was 1st in the A-10 and 18th nationally.
As a junior in 2019, Croke was an IWLCA All-Region Second Team and the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year. A 2019 All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection, the Norwell, Mass. native posted career-high totals in goals (43), assists (25), points (68), draw controls (48) and caused turnovers (15). She was the fourth-leading scorer on the team and ranked third in goals scored, third in draw controls and second in caused turnovers in addition to having the third-highest shooting percentage on the team (53.8%). Among A-10 players, she ranked 11th in points, 11th in goals, ninth in assists, and 13th in draw controls. In conference play, Croke led UMass in points and goals and had three 5-goal games.
Massachusetts kicks off the year with a pair of home games against 2019 national runner up Boston College on Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. and against Dartmouth on Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.
Other non-conference opponents include road tests at UMass Lowell (Feb. 24), Connecticut (Mar. 7) and Towson (Mar. 14), as well as neutral site games against Ohio State (Mar. 1 in Milton, Ga.) and Syracuse (Apr. 30 in Schenectady, N.Y.).
Atlantic 10 play kicks off on Mar. 20 against Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia before UMass returns home to host Duquesne on Mar. 22 at 1 p.m. Other conference home games include St. Bonaventure (Apr. 3), Davidson (Apr. 5) and La Salle (Apr. 18), while the Minutewomen will hit the road to take on George Mason (Mar. 27), George Washington (Mar. 29), VCU (Apr. 9) and defending conference champion Richmond on Apr. 11.
The Atlantic 10 Championship will take place on the campus of VCU on Apr. 23-26.
The Minutewomen will be seeking their league-record 11th championship title in 2020 – a mark that included a run of nine straight from 2009-2017.
One of the most winningest programs in NCAA women's lacrosse over the last nine years with 157 victories, UMass has reached the NCAA Tournament in nine of the last 11 years with the Minutewomen reaching the second round in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2016, UMass reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1984.
Richmond, the defending conference champion, was picked to win the league with six first-place votes, followed closely by the Minutewomen in second with four first-place votes. Saint Joseph's, George Mason and Duquesne were tabbed to finish in the third through fifth spots, respectively, followed by VCU, Davidson, George Washington, La Salle and St. Bonaventure.
Cerasi was an IWLCA All-Region Second Team, All-Atlantic 10 First Team and Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team selection as a junior last season. She led UMass in points and assist, had five game-winning goals including in OT vs. Richmond (Apr. 14). The Wantagh, N.Y. native was the quarterback of NCAA's second ranked offense and individually ranked third in the A-10 for total points and total assists. Nationally, she was 20th in total assists and 19th in assists per game (2.17 – 3rd among A-10 players), and her 4.78 points per game was 1st in the A-10 and 18th nationally.
As a junior in 2019, Croke was an IWLCA All-Region Second Team and the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year. A 2019 All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection, the Norwell, Mass. native posted career-high totals in goals (43), assists (25), points (68), draw controls (48) and caused turnovers (15). She was the fourth-leading scorer on the team and ranked third in goals scored, third in draw controls and second in caused turnovers in addition to having the third-highest shooting percentage on the team (53.8%). Among A-10 players, she ranked 11th in points, 11th in goals, ninth in assists, and 13th in draw controls. In conference play, Croke led UMass in points and goals and had three 5-goal games.
Massachusetts kicks off the year with a pair of home games against 2019 national runner up Boston College on Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. and against Dartmouth on Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.
Other non-conference opponents include road tests at UMass Lowell (Feb. 24), Connecticut (Mar. 7) and Towson (Mar. 14), as well as neutral site games against Ohio State (Mar. 1 in Milton, Ga.) and Syracuse (Apr. 30 in Schenectady, N.Y.).
Atlantic 10 play kicks off on Mar. 20 against Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia before UMass returns home to host Duquesne on Mar. 22 at 1 p.m. Other conference home games include St. Bonaventure (Apr. 3), Davidson (Apr. 5) and La Salle (Apr. 18), while the Minutewomen will hit the road to take on George Mason (Mar. 27), George Washington (Mar. 29), VCU (Apr. 9) and defending conference champion Richmond on Apr. 11.
The Atlantic 10 Championship will take place on the campus of VCU on Apr. 23-26.
The Minutewomen will be seeking their league-record 11th championship title in 2020 – a mark that included a run of nine straight from 2009-2017.
One of the most winningest programs in NCAA women's lacrosse over the last nine years with 157 victories, UMass has reached the NCAA Tournament in nine of the last 11 years with the Minutewomen reaching the second round in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2016, UMass reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1984.
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