Jan. 25, 2006
Providence, R.I. – The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team has been selected to finish fourth, along with the University of Connecticut, in the annual BIG EAST preseason poll in voting done by the league’s head coaches. Georgetown was a unanimous selection for first place for the fifth consecutive year with five first-place votes while Syracuse was second and received one vote for first.
The Hoyas received a total of 25 points with Syracuse in second with 20. League newcomer, Loyola (Md.) was picked third with 17 points while Notre Dame and Connecticut tied for fourth with 10 points each. Rutgers was the sixth-place selection as the Scarlet Knights received eight points.
The Irish are coming off a disappointing 2005 season that saw them finish fifth in the BIG EAST with a 1-4 league record and a 3-12 record overall.
The BIG EAST also announced its’ preseason all-BIG EAST team that included three Notre Dame players with two of them unanimous selections. Senior midfield/attack standout Crysti Foote (Suffern, N.Y.) and sophomore midfielder Caitlin McKinney (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) were unanimous choices to the team and were joined by midfielder Lena Zentgraf (Charlottesville, Va.) on the team. Foote was a first-team all-BIG EAST choice for the 2005 season while McKinney and Zentgraf were second-team choices.
Foote was one of seven unanimous choices to the preseason team along with McKinney. She is Notre Dame’s top returning scorer and a third-team IWLCA All-American in 2005. She led the Irish with 34 goals and 16 assists for 50 points while getting 27 ground balls and 28 draw controls. A member of Canada’s 2005 World Cup team, she finished as the Canadian’s leading scorer with 20 goals and seven assists in eight games in helping her native country to a fourth-place finish.
McKinney burst on the scene as a freshman in 2005, finishing second in scoring with the Irish with 28 goals and 12 assists for 40 points. The speedy midfielder had 21 ground balls and 15 draw controls on the year and was a second team IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Region selection. She was also selected to the U.S. National Developmental Team last May.
Zentgraf came into her own in her second season with the Irish, finishing fourth in scoring with 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points. She recorded 27 ground balls and 12 draw controls while taking second-team all-BIG EAST honors. She was also a second-team IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Region selection in 2005.
2006 BIG EAST Coaches Preseason Poll
2005 Records 2005 FinishSchool Points BIG EAST Overall Regular SeasonGeorgetown (5) 25 5-0 13-5 1stSyracuse (1) 20 4-1 12-5 2ndLoyola (Md.) 17 --- 5-11 ---Notre Dame 10 1-4 3-12 5thConnecticut 10 3-2 12-5 3rdRutgers 8 1-4 6-10 6th
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Chloe Asselin, Georgetown, Jr, D *Katie Batiuk, Rutgers, So., MShannon Burke, Connecticut, Jr., M *Jill DePetris, Syracuse, Jr., DCaitlyn Dragon, Syracuse, Sr., A *Crysti Foote, Notre Dame, Sr,, M/A *Sydney Greene, Loyola, Sr., AAnne Marchitello, Rutgers, Jr, MKatie McHarg, Loyola, So., A *Caitlin McKinney, Notre Dame, So., M/A *Meghan O'Connell, Syracuse, Sr., MCoco Stanwick, Georgetown, Jr., A *Lena Zentgraf, Notre Dame, Sr., M/DStephanie Zodtner, Georgetown, Sr., D
* - unanimous selection
Preseason Offensive Player of the YearCoco Stanwick, Georgetown, Jr., A
Preseason Defensive Player of the YearChloe Asselin, Georgetown, Jr., D