Elon Women’s Lacrosse Selected Fifth in A-Sun Preseason Poll; Two Named to Watch List

MACON, Ga. – As the first season of Elon women’s lacrosse nears, the Atlantic-Sun Conference released its Preseason Lacrosse Coaches Poll, Preseason All-Conference Team and Newcomer Watch List today, Jan. 17. Elon has been selected to finish fifth in the conference, while freshmen Molly Garrigan and Sydney Hesselbein were named to the Newcomer Watch List.

Elon earned 13 points in the coaches poll, just one vote behind Kennesaw State, who received 14 points. Defending league champion Jacksonville was selected first with 36 points and earned all six first-place votes. Detroit (28 points) and Stetson (25 points) rounded out the top three, while Howard was picked sixth with 10 points.

With 2014 being Elon’s first year of competition, no players were eligible for the preseason all-conference team. Garrigan and Hesselbein joined 10 others on the newcomer watch list that boasted two players from each school.

Jacksonville’s Taylor McCord and Kaylee Quint were selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Quint was a unanimous choice on the preseason team as was Howard’s Cynthia Smalls. In the fan vote conducted on the A-Sun’s Facebook Page, Stetson’s Maylis Broderick and Caili Guilday were selected as the Fan Voted Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year.

The top four teams after the regular season will meet in the A-Sun Championship, which is a semifinals and final format. Jacksonville will host the championship that is scheduled for May 2-4 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Elon will play an exhibition game on Sunday, Feb. 2, against Presbyterian at home in Rhodes Stadium at 1 p.m. before starting its inaugural season on Friday, Feb. 7, at Duke.

2014 Preseason Lacrosse Coaches Poll
Pl. Team Votes
1. Jacksonville (6) 36
2. Detroit 28
3. Stetson 25
4. Kennesaw State 14
5. Elon 13
6. Howard 10

Preseason All-Conference Team
Pos.- Name – School – Cl. – Hometown
*A – Cynithia Smalls – Howard – Sr. – Far Rockaway, N.J.
*D – Kaylee Quint – Jacksonville – Sr. – Lake Mary, Fla.
A – Erin Campbell – Detroit – Sr. – Orangeville, Ont.
A – Morgan Derner – Jacksonville- Jr. – Lake Mary, Fla.
A – Ali Hoffman – Jacksonville – Sr. – Gambrills, Md.
A – Taylor McCord – Jacksonville – Jr. – Jacksonville, Fla.
M – Jaymie Cox – Howard – Jr. – North Babylon, N.Y.
M – Brit Orashen – Jacksonville – Jr. – Lebanon, N.J.
M – Chelsea Watts – Jacksonville – Sr. – West Long Branch, N.J.
D – Amanda Guthrie – Detroit – Jr. – Winter Springs, Fla.
D – Amanda Parker – Stetson – So. – Perkasie, Pa.
GK – Lexie McCormick – Detroit – Jr. – Peterborough, Ont.
*- Unanimous Choice

Preseason Player of the Year: Taylor McCord, Jacksonville
Fan Voted Preseason Player of the Year: Maylis Broderick, Stetson
Preseason Defensive of the Year: Kaylee Quint, Jacksonville
Fan Voted Defensive Player of the Year: Caili Guilday, Stetson

Newcomer Watch List
Pos. – Name – School – Cl. – Hometown
D – Morgan Lear – Detroit – Jr, – San Ramon, Calif.
A – Annie Mendoza – Detroit – Jr. – Lansing, Mich.
M – Molly Garrigan – Elon – Fr. – Milton, Ga.
M – Sydney Hesselbein – Elon – Fr. – Towson, Md.
A – Tianna Clark – Howard – Fr. – Marietta, Ga.
M – Taylor Spencer – Howard – Fr. – Orlando, Fla.
M – Ali Brennan – Jacksonville – Sr. – Columbia, Md.
A – Danielle Della Rocca – Jacksonville – Fr. – Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.
A – Olivia Hokanson – Kennesaw State – Fr. – Crofton, Md.
M – Taylor McGhee – Kennesaw State – Fr. – Marietta, Ga.
D – Erin Busch – Stetson – Fr. – Annapolis, Md.
M – Lindsay Summers – Stetson – Fr. – Fallston, Md.