Salisbury ranked No. 3 in IWLCA Preseason Top 20
BALTIMORE - The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) released its 2009 preseason poll and the Salisbury University women's lacrosse team is ranked No. 3. This is the second publication that SU has been ranked in this season as the Sea Gulls hold the No. 3 spot in the Lacrosse magazine poll.
Salisbury is coming off an outstanding 2008 campaign in which the Sea Gulls posted a program best 22-1 record. Last season, SU reached the national semifinals for a fourth time in five seasons. The Sea Gulls lost an 11-10 heartbreaker to Hamilton in the semifinals.
There are six teams that Salisbury will face that are ranked in the preseason Top 20. The Sea Gulls will face four of the top six teams this season including top-ranked Hamilton and No. 2 F&M. Salisbury will travel to San Antonio to square off with the No. 1 Continentals on March 18 during Spring Break. The Sea Gulls will host No. 6 Colby on March 24 before traveling to Lancaster, Pa., to take on the second-ranked Diplomats on March 29. In April, the first two home games for the maroon and gold feature nationally ranked teams. SU will host Capital Athletic Conference rival and No. 15 St. Mary's (Md.) College on April 4 followed a week later by a visit by No. 5 The College of New Jersey on April 11. Salisbury's other game this season against a preseason ranked team is March 8 on the road against No. 17 Catholic University of America.
Salisbury will open its season on Wednesday, February 18, as the Sea Gulls host Christopher Newport University at 3 p.m. in Sea Gull Stadium.
IWLCA Division III Weekly Poll - Preseason
1. Hamilton (18)
2. Franklin & Marshall (2)
3. SALISBURY
4. TCNJ
5. Middlebury
6. Gettysburg
7. Union
8. Colby
9. Washington & Lee
10. Amherst
11. Babson
12. Cortland
13. Trinity (CT)
14. Catholic
15. Dickinson
16. Tufts
17. St. Mary's (Md.)
18. William Smith
19. Rowan
20. Bowdoin
Teams in italic are Salisbury opponents in '09
