Terps Take Top Spot in 2020 Preseason Polls
1/27/2020 1:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The reigning national championship Maryland women's lacrosse team was selected as the No. 1 team in the preseason IWLCA Coaches Poll and picked to win the Big Ten, as announced by the IWLCA and Big Ten on Monday.
Maryland begins the year No. 1 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll for the fourth time in the last six seasons, receiving 15 of the 25 first place votes in the poll. The Terps will face 11 teams ranked in the preseason top-25 including showdowns with No. 2 North Carolina (Feb. 22), No. 3 Northwestern (March 26) and No. 4 Syracuse (Feb. 28).
The Terps were also voted as the Big Ten preseason favorites for the sixth time in Maryland's six seasons in the conference. Maryland has never lost a Big Ten regular season game, standing at 28-0 over five years and has eight conference championships (five regular season, three tournament).
Seniors Brindi Griffin and Kali Hartshorn and junior Grace Griffin were named Maryland's Big Ten Players to Watch. Brindi Griffin was also selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by Inside Lacrosse, while Hartshorn and Grace Griffin were the 2017 & 2018 Big Ten Freshmen of the Year respectively. Hartshorn was named a IWLCA Second Team All-American last season.
The Big Ten has four teams listed in the IWLCA Preseason Poll with Northwestern and Michigan being ranked in the top-10.
Maryland will begin its 2020 campaign on Saturday, February 8 at George Mason.
The complete IWLCA coaches' poll can be found here. The Big Ten preseason poll can be found here.
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