GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina is the preseason favorite in the 2020 ACC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll, released Tuesday by the conference office. The four-time reigning ACC champion Tar Heels totaled 62 points in balloting among the ACC’s eight head coaches. Syracuse was second with 52 points and was followed by Notre Dame (45), Boston College (43), Virginia (35), Virginia Tech (22), Duke (20) and Louisville (9).
The Preseason All-ACC Team features 17 student-athletes, with four selections each from North Carolina and Syracuse, three from Notre Dame, two from Virginia and one each from Louisville and Virginia Tech. The Preseason All-ACC Team includes two of the ACC’s major award winners from the 2019 season: North Carolina junior Emma Trenchard (ACC Defender of the Year) and Syracuse sophomore Sarah Cooper (ACC Freshman of the Year).
The Preseason All-ACC Team includes seven players who earned All-America honors from the IWLCA following the 2019 season. Fourteen of the 17 players on the Preseason All-ACC Team also are represented on Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook’s 2020 Preseason All-America Team. In all, the ACC has 21 players on the Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Team, with nine of the 13 first-team honorees coming from ACC programs. The 21 Preseason All-Americans is by far the most of any conference.
Six ACC women’s lacrosse teams are ranked in the Preseason Inside Lacrosse poll, highlighted by top-ranked North Carolina. Four others are in the top 10 – Syracuse (4), Boston College (5), Notre Dame (7) and Virginia (9) – and Duke is No. 20. Seven ACC teams are ranked in the IWLCA, led by No. 2 North Carolina. Syracuse (4), Boston College (5), Notre Dame (7), Virginia (8), Duke (21) and Virginia Tech (23) also are among the top 25. The ACC has the most teams in each poll among all conferences.
The 2020 women’s lacrosse season gets underway this weekend with all eight teams in action. Duke and Syracuse will be the first teams to hit the field with Friday contests. Duke opens the season at 4 p.m. Friday with a home match against Gardner-Webb. Syracuse plays host to Canisius at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Carrier Dome.
2020 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. North Carolina, 62
2. Syracuse, 52
3. Notre Dame, 45
4. Boston College, 43
5. Virginia, 35
6. Virginia Tech, 22
7. Duke, 20
8. Louisville, 9
2020 Preseason All-ACC Team
Attack: Emily Hawryschuk, Sr., Syracuse
Attack: Katie Hoeg, Sr., North Carolina
Attack: Maddie Howe, Jr., Notre Dame
Attack: Jamie Ortega, Jr., North Carolina
Midfield: Andie Aldave, Jr., Notre Dame
Midfield: Sammy Mueller, Sr., Virginia
Midfield: Paige Petty, Jr., Virginia Tech
Defense: Sarah Cooper, So., Syracuse
Defense: Kerry Defliese, R-Jr., Syracuse
Defense: Emma Trenchard, Jr., North Carolina
Goalie: Taylor Moreno, Jr., North Carolina
At-Large: Caroline Blalock, M, Jr., Louisville
At-Large: Nora Bowen, A, Sr., Virginia
At-Large: Savannah Buchanan, M, Sr., Notre Dame
At-Large: Megan Carney, A, So., Syracuse
At-Large: Charlotte North, A, Jr. Boston College
At-Large: Sheila Rietano, D, Sr., Boston College