Washington and Lee University
SALEM, Va. -- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) released its preseason men's and women's lacrosse coaching polls on Wednesday afternoon. The Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team was picked to finish first out of the league's nine schools, while the men were selected third out of seven schools.
W&L's women's team received seven first-place votes and 78 points and was followed closely by Roanoke, who received the other two first-place votes and 71 points. Virginia Wesleyan (63) ranked third, followed by Randolph-Macon (56), Guilford (43), Lynchburg (39), Sweet Briar (26), Bridgewater (20) and Hollins (9).
Roanoke topped the men's poll with five first-place votes and 44 points. Lynchburg was second with two first-place nods and 41 points, followed by W&L (38), Hampden-Sydney (31), Randolph-Macon (17), Virginia Wesleyan (17) and Guilford (8).
The W&L women's lacrosse team finished the 2008 campaign 17-3 overall and had a perfect 8-0 mark in league play. The Generals also captured their sixth-consecutive Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) crown and appeared in the NCAA tournament for the sixth-straight year. Additionally, the Blue and White will carry a 43-game winning streak against league opponents into the 2009 season.
The ninth-ranked Generals return five starters from last year, including senior All-America attacker Kelsi Robinson (West Chester, Pa./Westtown). Robinson and senior midfielder Colleen Evans (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge County) were both first team all-region selections, while junior attacker Britten Mathews (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) garnered second team all-region accolades. The trio were also tabbed First Team All-ODAC.
The 14th-ranked W&L men's lacrosse team welcomes back seven starters from the 2008 team that went 9-6 overall and finished second in the ODAC with a 5-1 league mark.
Senior midfielders Harry St. John (Essex Fells, N.J./West Essex) and Tim Skeen (Baltimore, Md./Towson) headline the returnees after finishing first and tied for second on the team in scoring last season.
A preseason Honorable Mention All-American, St. John tallied 43 points on 30 goals and 13 assists, while Skeen totaled 42 points on 17 goals and a team-high 25 assists last season. The duo already rank 28th and 30th, respectively, on the school's all-time scoring list. St. John has 107 career points and Skeen has 105 career points.
Washington and Lee's women's team kicks off its season on February 21 as it hosts 15th-ranked St. Mary's at 2:00 pm. The W&L men open up on February 25 at 3:00 pm at Mary Washington.
--GENERALS--
