Women’s Lacrosse Pegged No. 16 in Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Jan 03 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The preseason accolades keep rolling in for Rutgers women's lacrosse. The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 16 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Preseason Top 20, a ranking compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff in consultation with college coaches. RU is one of three Big Ten Conference programs represented in the preseason poll along with No. 4 Northwestern and No. 6 Maryland.
Standout juniors Meghan Ball and Cassidy Spilis were named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-Americans last month. Ball earned second-team laurels while Spilis netted third-team accolades by the publication ahead of the 2022 season.
Rutgers returns 10 starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team, which includes Ball and Spilis. All-Big Ten standout Taralyn Naslonski and all-region selection Marin Hartshorn also return, while the Scarlet Knights also welcome A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Stephanie Kelly, who finished as the conference leader in points (91) and assists (46) last spring at St. Joseph's.
Along with Rutgers' first trip to NCAAs since 1999, second-year head coach Melissa Lehman led the program to its first IWLCA Coaches Poll ranking since the 2013 season and its highest ranking (No. 14) since 2010. Rutgers also picked up its first-ever wins over Big Ten Conference foes Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Penn State and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for just the second time since it began league play in 2015.
The Scarlet Knights open their 2022 season on Saturday, Feb. 12 at Delaware. RU's first home game of the spring campaign is Wednesday, Feb. 16 against army.
Standout juniors Meghan Ball and Cassidy Spilis were named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-Americans last month. Ball earned second-team laurels while Spilis netted third-team accolades by the publication ahead of the 2022 season.
Rutgers returns 10 starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team, which includes Ball and Spilis. All-Big Ten standout Taralyn Naslonski and all-region selection Marin Hartshorn also return, while the Scarlet Knights also welcome A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Stephanie Kelly, who finished as the conference leader in points (91) and assists (46) last spring at St. Joseph's.
Along with Rutgers' first trip to NCAAs since 1999, second-year head coach Melissa Lehman led the program to its first IWLCA Coaches Poll ranking since the 2013 season and its highest ranking (No. 14) since 2010. Rutgers also picked up its first-ever wins over Big Ten Conference foes Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Penn State and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for just the second time since it began league play in 2015.
The Scarlet Knights open their 2022 season on Saturday, Feb. 12 at Delaware. RU's first home game of the spring campaign is Wednesday, Feb. 16 against army.
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