Florida Picked to Finish Second in ALC, Three Gators Named to Watchlist
Thursday, February 9, 2012 | Lacrosse
The 2012 University of Florida lacrosse team has been predicted to finish second in the American Lacrosse Conference, as voted on by the conference coaches. Returning All-Americans and 2011 First-Team All-ALC selections Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.), Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) and Sam Farrell (Millersville, Md.) were all named as 2012 ALC Players to Watch.
The defending ALC and NCAA Tournament Champion Northwestern Wildcats, ranked No. 1 in all three national preseason polls, were unanimously picked to finish first. Northwestern went 21-2 in 2011, dropping ALC regular-season games to Florida and Johns Hopkins, en route to a second-place regular-season ALC finish. They then were perfect in the postseason, defeating UF, 10-9, in the ALC Championship and winning their sixth national championship in seven years, downing Maryland, 8-7, in the NCAA Finals.
The Wildcats had a league-leading four players named to the ALC watchlist, 2011 Tewaaraton Award winner Shannon Smith, IWLCA Defender of the Year Taylor Thornton, Third-Team All-American Alex Frank and ALC All-Tournament midfielder Alyssa Leonard.
The 2011 ALC regular-season champion Florida Gators, ranked No. 4 in the IWLCA Preseason Poll, were predicted to finish second in 2012 conference play. After a perfect, 5-0, ALC record in the regular season, the Gators advanced to their first ever conference championship game with a 16-13 victory over the fourth-seed Ohio State Buckeyes. However, the Gators were unable to repeat their April upset of the Wildcats in the championship game, allowing NU a late comeback and falling, 10-9.
All three of the Gators' 2011 First-Team All-ALC selections were named to this year's conference watchlist. Kitty Cullen, the nation's second-leading scorer in 2011 with 77 goals, had a strong showing against England last month, notching three goals and an assist in the first half. The Gators' 2011 assist leader, Ashley Bruns, who ranked in the top 20 last season in both assists and points, was selected as well, along with defensive specialist Sam Farrell.
The remaining four ALC teams were predicted to place in the same order as they finished in the 2011 standings and according to their rank in the IWLCA Preseason Poll. No. 17 Penn State (10-8, 3-2 ALC) is predicted to finish third, followed by No. 18 Ohio State (10-7, 2-3 ALC) in fourth. No. 19 Vanderbilt (8-8, 1-4 ALC) is slated fifth, with Johns Hopkins (9-8, 1-4 ALC) in sixth.
Johns Hopkins had three players selected to the preseason watchlist, 2011 all-conference players Colleen McCaffrey, Taylor D'Amore and Candace Rossi.; Penn State seniors Dana Cahill, the 2011 ALC Goalie of the Year, and midfielder Theresa Zichelli and Ohio State seniors Alayna Markwordt, a 2011 Second-Team All-American, and Second-Team All-ALC selection Gabby Capuzzi each made the list, along with Vanderbilt's First-Team All-American Ally Carey.
The 2012 ALC competitive season begins Friday, as Northwestern and Ohio State both open the season in California. The top-ranked Wildcats will take on No. 6 Stanford, while No. 18 Ohio State faces San Diego State in the Aztecs' first-ever NCAA Division I matchup. Vanderbilt begins 2012 on Saturday, hosting No. 5 Duke, and Penn State begins at Bucknell on Wednesday.
The Gators open the season Saturday at No. 3 North Carolina in a rematch of the 2011 season-opening overtime thriller. Florida, who is 0-2 against the Tar Heels, will be looking for its first-ever defeat of an ACC team, after dropping its NCAA Quarterfinal game to No. 5 Duke in the final competition of 2011. Opening draw is set for noon.
2012 ALC Preseason Poll
1. Northwestern (6) 36
2. Florida 30
3. Penn State 22
4. Ohio State 19
5. Vanderbilt 11
6. Johns Hopkins 8
2012 ALC Players to Watch
Ashley Bruns Florida
Dana Cahill Penn State
Gabby Capuzzi Ohio State
Ally Carey Vanderbilt
Kitty Cullen Florida
Taylor D'Amore Johns Hopkins
Sam Farrell Florida
Alex Frank Northwestern
Alyssa Leonard Northwestern
Alayna Markwordt Ohio State
Colleen McCaffrey Johns Hopkins
Candace Rossi Johns Hopkins
Shannon Smith Northwestern
Taylor Thornton Northwestern
Theresa Zichell Penn State
