Story Links
Jan. 14, 2004
The Virginia Cavaliers are ranked second in the 2004 Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll, as released by USLacrosse, the national governing body for lacrosse. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA Division I title game in 2003 and return eight starters, including two All-Americans, a member of the national rookie squad, and three members of the USA Women’s Lacrosse Developmental Team. The Cavaliers have led the nation in scoring for two consecutive seasons.
Head coach Julie Myers, the 2002 ACC Coach of the Year, was recently inducted into the IWLCA Victory Club after only eight years at the helm of the Cavalier program. She ranks in the top-20 nationally in winning percentage and is one of only two coaches to reach the title game four times in the last eight years.
Amy Appelt, the 2002 National Rookie of the Year and a consensus All-American in 2003, returns for her third-year. She already ranks 10th all-time at Virginia in scoring and has scored in every game in her collegiate career. A member of the USA Developmental Squad, Appelt ranks ninth all-time in goals and assists and holds the scoring records for first-years and second-years at Virginia.
Cary Chasney, a National Player of the Week selection in 2003, was a consensus All-American in 2003 and ranks second behind Appelt in scoring among first-years and second-years in school history. She holds the record for goals as a second-year with her 59 in 2003 and ranked second on the team in draw controls last year as well with 39, the sixth-highest total for a season in school history.
Caitlin Banks returns for her fourth year. Banks, who ranks seventh all-time at Virginia in assists with 52, has notched 20 goals and 20 assists in both of her last two years, one of only seven players in school history to reach this mark. The 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year and a member of the 2001 National Rookie Squad, Banks ranks eighth all-time in draw controls. Banks also tied for third on the team with 57 ground balls in 2003. Banks was tied with fellow fourth-year Morgan Thalenberg, a three-year starter who returns for her final season.
Elizabeth Pinney, a member of the National Rookie Squad in 2002, was injured just before the Penn State game last year and will return to bolster the Cavalier defensive corps.
A pair of second-year midfield defenders also earned honors in 2003 as Kim Connors was named to the USA Developmental Team in 2003 and Meredith Lazarus was named to the womenslacrosse.com National Rookie Squad.
The Cavaliers also welcome one of the top-five recruiting classes according to insidelacrosse.com. USA Under-19 squad members Megan Havrilla and Kaitlin Swagart are part of the Class of 2007.
Virginia opens up the 2004 campaign on the road against Vanderbilt University from the American Lacrosse Conference. The Commodores are ranked #20 in the Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll.