Fayetteville, NC – The Piedmont College women’s lacrosse team has been picked to finish 2nd in the USA South Preseason Coaches Poll released earlier today by the conference office in Fayetteville. The Lady Lions, who won last year’s regular season championship, took 32 total points coming up just one point shy of a 1st place tie with Meredith College.
The poll, as voted on by the coaches of the seven member institutions who sponsor women’s lacrosse, had Meredith picked to finish 1st with 33 total points as the Avenging Angels claimed four the seven available 1st place votes. Piedmont received two 1st place nods while the remaining top pick went to Ferrum who finished 3rd in the poll with 28 total points.
Meredith and Piedmont met in an instant classic to decide last season’s USA South tournament champion in North Carolina with overtime needed to decide a winner after the Lady Lions scored two goals in the final 4:20 of regulation to force the OT.
PC scored first in OT, but a pair of Meredith goals in the second overtime period handed the Avenging Angels the conference crown. Piedmont had won the regular season title with an undefeated 8-0 record including a 15-11 win over Meredith.
Following Ferrum in the poll was Greensboro College who took home 21 total points.
Wrapping up the poll was 5th place Huntingdon (14 total points), 6th place Methodist (10), and 7th place LaGrange (9). Against the three bottom teams in the poll, Piedmont won all three contests in 2014 by a collective 58-11 scoreline.
Now in its third season of existence, Lady Lion lacrosse was picked to finish 3rd in last year’s preseason poll while taking a 6th place spot in the 2013 voting, the debut season for the program. In two years of competition, Head Coach Emily Jacquette has led her team to a 26-7 overall record with the 2013 record of 12-4 representing one of the best debut records for any Division III program in NCAA history.
Piedmont returns 16 letterwinners from last year’s regular season champs including eight starters and what is quickly becoming the most feared attack trio in the region in juniors MCKYNSEY DOUGLAS and ALEXIS NARDUCCI as well as sophomore KAYLA JONES. Jones is coming off a debut campaign that saw the Lawrenceville native earn USA South Rookie of the Year honors.
Douglas led the team with her 61 goals while Narducci and Jones each added 44. All three were USA South All-Conference selections as Piedmont also returns two 1st team All-Conference picks in the midfield in juniors MAGGIE MCDANIEL and CAHNER MANNS as well.
The 2015 USA South Women’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament will be held at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex football stadium in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on April 17-18 as a part of the USA South Spring Sports Festival.
2015 USA South Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) Pts.
1. Meredith (4) 33
2. Piedmont (2) 32
3. Ferrum (1) 28
4. Greensboro 21
5. Huntingdon 14
6. Methodist 10
7. LaGrange 9
