Women's Lacrosse Ranked Fourth in Preseason Poll

Story Links

March 4, 1998

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia Cavaliers, who advanced to the NCAA tournament last year, start the 1998 lacrosse season ranked fourth in the IWLCA Preseason Poll. This is the lowest start for the Cavaliers this decade. Virginia looks to improve on a 14-4 finish last season. In 1997, the Cavaliers ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense and return nine of twelve starters, including three All-Americans. The 1997 captains, Kara Ariza, Peggy Boutilier, and Beth Potter were all All-Americans last year while Boutilier was named Player of the Year.

The Cavaliers travel to William and Mary for a tournament on Saturday where they will face 1997 Division III Runner-up College of New Jersey, 1990 Division I Champion Harvard, #12 Brown, and Syracuse, a new program. The Cavaliers will also face off against the 1997 World Champion United States squad. All of these games are exhibitions and will not count in records.

The Preseason IWLCA Poll is as follows (with 1997 records, poll points, and first place votes)

        1. Maryland         21-1    180     (9)    2. North Carolina   14-4    161    3. Temple           14-3    155    4. Virginia         14-5    152    5. Princeton         7-7    138    6. Penn State       10-6    133    7. Loyola           15-3    132    8. William & Mary   10-6    116         9. James Madison    13-4    106    10. Georgetown       9-8     98    11. Dartmouth       10-4     91    12. Brown           10-4     70    13. Yale            12-5     67    14. Duke             8-8     58    15. Rutgers         12-5     50      Also receiving votes: Old Dominion, Delaware,  Towson, Harvard, Vanderbilt