Conference Carolinas

Limestone Ranked First in Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Preseason Poll

1/29/2015 12:00:00 AM

High Point, NC – Led by the attacking duo of senior Sam McCarrick and junior Taylor Cline, Limestone is poised to make another conference title run in 2015.

Coming off an undefeated regular season in 2014 which ended in the NCAA Tournament, the Saints have all the tools to replicate that success this year. To go along with the 70 combined goals scored between McCarrick and Cline, junior attacker Carleigh Davis put up 34 assists in 2014 to lead all returning players in the conference. Sydney Teeter returns as the primary goalkeeper after starting all 19 games last year and posting one of the top goals against averages in the country.

Limestone head coach Scott Tucker owns a career 197-42 record in 13 seasons with the Saints. He will be looking to a roster loaded with experienced attackers to lead the Blue and Gold to a ninth consecutive conference title.

Coming off their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Pfeiffer Falcons have been picked to finish second in the conference. The Falcons have been the runner-up to Limestone for the past two seasons and are looking to take the next step.

Unfortunately, Pfeiffer will have to do that without three time All-American and two-time Conference Carolinas Defender of the Year, Katherine Athens. Athens graduation creates opportunities for other Falcons to step up. Senior Kristi Korn was a First Team All-Conference performer in 2014 and was second on the team in goals (32) and points (37). Goalkeeper Cassidy Wilson was also a First Team All-Conference player a season ago as she led the conference with a 55.1 save percentage and posted a league-best 61.1 save percentage in conference games.

Defender Ashley West earned a spot on the Second Team All-Conference a season ago and will look to fill the void left behind by Athens. The return of Delaney Miller as well as Gracie Herbert and Andrea Archila show that plenty of talent remains in Misenheimer.

Voted to finish third in the conference, the Belmont Abbey women’s lacrosse team returns all three of its all-conference performers from last season, including first team selection Katy Connery. Connery, the NCAA statistical champion in ground balls per game in 2014, scored a team-high 44 goals with nine assists for 53 points. MacKenzie Miller and Kassie Easter also return, as both were named to the second team. Miller, the 2013 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, netted 28 goals while Easter netted 29 in her initial collegiate campaign. The three represent the top three returning goal scorers from a year ago as the Crusaders top five scorers from last season return. Belmont Abbey hosts a program-record 10 home games in 2015, starting with a February 12 matchup against Rollins in the season opener.

Mount Olive finished fourth in the poll with Erskine fifth followed by Converse, Lees McRae, and North Greenville University respectively rounding-out the poll standings.

Conference Carolinas Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll

(# Of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)