WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State women's lacrosse team has been picked to top the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) once again, as voted on by the league's head coaches earlier this week.
The Owls earned seven of a possible eight first place votes in the preseason poll, amassing a total of 49 points. Westfield was perfect in conference play last year going 7-0 in league contests. Returning for the Owls is reigning MASCAC Player of the Year Maria Woodall (King Phillip / Norfolk, Mass.). The senior goalie was stellar in net for the defending champions posting 9.06 goals-against average and a 53.5 save percentage, both of which led the conference. She earned 18 wins in 2018.
Westfield State also returns a large group of ten seniors, headlined by All-Conference first team members Sydney Lambert (Hanover, Mass.) and Caroline Arket (Arlington/Poughquag, N.Y.) and second team honorees Alexa Tonelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Marissa Nimeskern (Hanover, Mass) and Olivia Overdahl (Milford, Mass.).
Lambert was the Owls' top point-getter last year, scoring 54 goals and adding 5 assists for 59 total points, followed by Tonelli who notched 41 goals and 7 assists.
The Owls also return junior MASCAC second team midfielder Sam Donohoe (North Middlesex/Pepperell, Mass.) who tallied 28 goals and 9 assists for Westfield State during the 2018 campaign.
Last year's MASCAC Tournament runner-up, Framingham State, ranks second in this year's poll with 42 points and grabbed the remaining first place vote. Sitting in third in preseason rankings is Bridgewater State, which earned 37 points and in fourth is Worcester State with 31 points.
Fitchburg State and Massachusetts Maritime fill the fifth and sixth spots in the poll with 24 and 18 points and Salem State and MCLA close out the poll in that order as they garnered 16 and 7 points, respectively.
Westfield State opens up the season on March 5th, hosting Mount Holyoke College for a 5:00 p.m. matchup at Alumni Field.