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News Release

UMBC Picked to Finish Third in America East Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll

2/17/2007

Ali Levendusky was the Retrievers' top scorer in 2006.

Boston-For the fourth year in a row, the UMBC women’s lacrosse team was chosen to finish third in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which was released Friday. The Retrievers received 37 points in a vote of the league’s head coaches. New Hampshire, last season’s conference runner-up, is the preseason favorite to win the conference.

The Wildcats received four first-place votes and 46 points to finish just ahead of two-time defending champion Boston University, which received the other three first-place votes and 43 points. UMBC (37), Stony Brook (25), Albany (21), Vermont (15) and Binghamton (9) round out the seven-team poll.

Under the direction of second-year head coach and reigning America East Coach of the Year Courtney Connor, the Retrievers will look to return to the America East Championship for the fourth straight year after joining the conference in 2004. The top four teams in the conference advance to the tournament, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

Last season, UMBC (10-8, 5-1 America East) won its first-ever regular-season America East title and earned the right to host the conference championships as the top seed, but the Retrievers were upset by fourth-seeded New Hampshire, 12-5. UMBC has never made it past the semifinal round in the league tournament.

The Retrievers return nine starters and 16 players from the 2006 squad, including junior attack Ali Levendusky, the team’s top scorer and an all-conference first team selection who scored 41 goals and 54 points last season. Also returning are senior midfielders Kelly Fahey (33 goals, 45 points) and Jen Kasper (26 goals, 42 points), both all-conference second team picks, and sophomore midfielder Kara Dorr, who posted 24 goals and 28 points to earn all-rookie status a year ago.

UMBC opens the season Saturday, Feb. 17 against Howard, then hosts No. 8 Maryland on Monday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. New Hampshire visits UMBC Stadium on March 24 for the start of America East play, and the America East Championships are May 4-6 at the top seed.