BALTIMORE – The reigning two-time NCAA Champion Maryland women's lacrosse team enters the 2016 campaign ranked No. 1 in the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20, as announced by the publication Monday.
Senior midfielder Taylor Cummings was selected as Lacrosse Magazine's Preseason Player of the Year. Cummings returns as a two-time Tewaaraton winner after leading the Terps in nearly every statistical category in 2015. Maryland also returns All-Americans Alice Mercer and Megan Whittle, who led the team in goals as a freshman.
The Terps posted a 21-1 record in 2015, including a 5-0 record in the inaugural season of Big Ten lacrosse, en route to the program's 13th national championship. In addition to its returning talent, the Terrapins welcome the No. 2 freshmen class in 2016.
The Terps open the 2016 season Feb. 13 against William & Mary at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Maryland won't face an easy road back to the Final Four as the Terrapins face 11 programs during the regular season that are also ranked in the poll. No. 5 Northwestern, No. 6 Penn State and No. 18 Ohio State join Maryland as Big Ten squads listed in the rankings.
Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Rankings1. Maryland
2. North Carolina3. Syracuse4. Stony Brook
5. Northwestern6. Penn State7. Notre Dame
8. Boston College
9. Princeton10. Florida11. Virginia12. Duke
13. Johns Hopkins14. Louisville
15. Stanford
16. Penn17. Loyola (Md.)
18. Ohio State19. James Madison20. Southern California
– Maryland –
