Feb. 5, 2013

BALTIMORE - The Maryland women's lacrosse team is ranked No. 4 in the IWLCA Division I Preseason Poll, released Tuesday.

The Terps return nine starters from last year's squad which won its fourth straight ACC title and advanced to the final four for the fourth consecutive season.

Leading all returners is reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Katie Schwarzmann who boasted 72 goals and 22 assists as a junior in 2012.

Maryland opens its season at Richmond on Sunday.

1. Northwestern 21-2
2. Syracuse 19-4
3. Florida 19-3
4. Maryland 19-4
5. North Carolina 15-4
6. Loyola 14-6
7. Duke 12-7
8. Virginia 11-8
9. Notre Dame 13-5
10. Penn State 12-7
11. Pennsylvania 9-8
12. Dartmouth 12-5
13. Ohio State 11-6
14. Massachusetts 19-2
15. Georgetown 9-8
16. Cornell 11-5
17. Towson 16-4
18. Stony Brook 14-5
19. Johns Hopkins 9-9
20. Boston College 10-8
Also receiving votes: Albany, Boston University, Harvard, Navy, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt