Gainesville, Fla. – The University of Florida lacrosse team was unanimously tabbed to win the BIG EAST conference title in the 2018 Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office Friday morning.
Florida received all nine available first-place votes and led the conference with six Preseason All-BIG EAST players. No other school earned more than two All-BIG EAST nods.
The Gators also swept Preseason Players of the Year awards, as attacker
Lindsey Ronbeck was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and goalkeeper
Haley Hicklen earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
Joining Hicklen and Ronbeck on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team were seniors
Allie Pavinelli (M) and
Shayna Pirreca (A), junior
Sydney Pirreca (M)
, and sophomore
Cara Trombetta (D).
Denver, Georgetown, and Temple rounded out the top four spots.
The Gators are coming off a season in 2017 where they went undefeated in conference play and outscored opponents by 110 goals in nine games. Since joining the conference in 2015, UF has enjoyed a 28-1 record against league foes including BIG EAST Tournament games. Florida's current 22-game conference win streak is the longest in school history.
UF returns five 30-point scorers from 2017, along with defensive standouts
Aniya Flanagan and Trombetta. Hicklen, the reigning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, recorded 142 saves in her first season as a starter.
Florida,
picked No. 5 in the ILWomen Preseason rankings, gets the 2018 season started with a clash against upstart Colorado on Feb. 11 at Donald R. Dizney stadium.
BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes)
1. FLORIDA (9) - 81
2. Denver (1) - 73
3. Georgetown - 62
4. Temple - 56
5. UConn - 49
6. Vanderbilt - 37
Marquette - 37
7. Villanova - 27
8. Cincinnati - 19
9. Butler - 9
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Lindsey Ronbeck, Florida
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Haley Hicklen, Florida
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Julia Blaze, Vanderbilt, Jr., M
Katie Comerford, Villanova, So., A
Cassie Ekstrom, Connecticut, Sr., D
Julia Feiss, Denver, Jr., A
Grace Gabriel, Marquette, Jr., M*
Haley Hicklen, Florida, Jr., GK*
Kendra Lanuza, Denver, Jr., A*
Nicole Latgis, Temple, Sr., D*
Grace Nolan, Connecticut, Sr., A*
Allie Pavinelli, Florida, Sr., M
Shayna Pirreca, Florida, Sr., A
Sydney Pirreca, Florida, Jr., M*
Lindsey Ronbeck, Florida, Jr., A*
Morgan Ryan, Georgetown, Jr., A
Cara Trombetta, Florida, So., D
Francesca Whitehurst, Georgetown, Jr., M*
*unanimous selection
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