Baltimore, Md. – Lacrosse Magazine released yesterday its preseason rankings and players of the year for the upcoming 2009 season and the St. Mary's College of Maryland women's lacrosse team found itself in the Top 20 for Division III. The Seahawks were listed at No. 15, while the six-time defending Capital Athletic Conference champion, Salisbury University, was ranked third.

St. Mary's looks to make its eighth appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament in May as the Seahawks will be under new leadership in 2009. Kara Reber (Pittsford, N.Y.), who spent five successful years at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa., took over the reins of the women's lacrosse program after Carol Schmoeller stepped down at the end of her second year in 2008 to pursue both personal and professional opportunities closer to her husband, Matt Hatton, the head men's lacrosse at McDaniel College.

A year ago, the Seahawks posted a 15-6 overall record, earning CAC runner-up honors for the second time in program history with a loss to Salisbury in the CAC championship game. St. Mary's did garner an at-large bid for the program's seventh NCAA berth and posted a 16-15 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson University, College at Florham, in the NCAA First Round before falling to Salisbury for the third time that season in second round action.

St. Mary's finished the 2008 campaign ranked 14th in the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association/Under Armour Division III Weekly Poll.

Coach Reber and her troops will look to kick off the 2009 season on February 21 on the road as the Seahawks will travel to Lexington, Va. to take on Washington & Lee University, who was ranked eighth in the preseason poll, at 2:00. SMCM will then open up conference play on February 24 as the Seahawks will host Wesley College in their home-opener at 3:30. The squad will close out the month of February against another ranked opponent as St. Mary's hosts No. 13 Dickinson College on February 28 at 1:00.

In all, the Seahawks will face five opponents that are ranked in LM's preseason poll. Besides the pair mentioned above, St. Mary's will also square off against No. 17 Catholic University on March 18 at 4:00 in Washington, D.C.; against No. 5 The College of New Jersey on March 29 at 1:00 in Ewing, N.J.; and against No. 3 Salisbury on April 4 at 2:00 in Salisbury.

2008-12-23