Women's Lacrosse Ranked Sixth In NEAC Preseason Poll

FULL RESULTS: NEAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll (PDF)

GANSEVOORT N.Y. – The Wells College women's lacrosse team was voted to finish sixth out of 10 North Eastern Athletic Conference programs, according to the first-ever NEAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll released late last week. 

The reigning NEAC Champions from Morrisville State College were predicted to finish first once again, capturing six first-place votes and a league-leading 77 total points, while the runner-up Wolfpack from Keuka College earned three first-place votes and 74 points. SUNY Poly finished third with 64 points and one first-place vote while Medaille and Cazenovia finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the ranking. 

The Express will be led by first-year Head Coach Missy Jaworski as she inherits a team who posted a 4-9 overall record that was impressive considering all but four of the team's contests were played away from Aurora. 

Wells will compete on an artificial turf field in 2016, alleviating the majority of the team's weather-related scheduling woes from previous seasons. With the ability to consistently practice and compete outdoors in Aurora for the first time in team history, the team has added flexibility not afforded to the teams from prior seasons. 

"With the players' development of skill, a positive team culture and hard work, we are on a great track for a successful season," remarked Jaworski, a 2012 graduate of NCAA Division I Jacksonville University where she was a three-year member of the women's lacrosse team for the Dolphins.

The Express will return one of its three NEAC All-Conference selections from a year prior. Senior Andrea Gould (Fulton, N.Y.) collected Third Team All-NEAC honors after setting career-highs with 27 goals and 30 points (27-3=30). She also set personal bests with 41 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers and, exiting play as a junior, has averaged more than a goal per game in her 41 game career with 46 tallies.

Senior Lexie Roberson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) also returns to the team after posting 19 goals and four assists for 23 points (19-4=23). Her 38 ground balls were ranked fourth on the team last season and her 17 caused turnovers were also the third-most by any member of the squad. Seniors Amber Jordan (Auburn, N.Y.) and junior Jessica Burbank (Stamford, Conn.) will also see an increased role in the team's offensive abilities in 2016.

Defensively, Wells returns juniors Lexi Cohen (Newtown, Pa.) and Sydney Line (Northport, N.Y.) in addition to goalkeeper Quinn Doubet (Virgil, N.Y.). Cohen and Line combined to reel in 28 ground balls while Doubet posted four wins between the pipes, making 107 saves in just under 759 minutes of action for the Express.

Wells will compete against a formidable non-conference schedule, opening its season on the road against Elms on Wednesday, Mar. 2 before taking on three-straight teams from the Empire 8 Conference that includes Houghton, Elmira and Alfred. The Express opens its conference schedule at home on Saturday, Apr. 2 against Morrisville State.

2016 NEAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll Full Results

*Tie broken by higher ordinal number points