FOREST, Va. – Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women’s lacrosse coaches picked Guilford College fifth in their annual preseason poll released Tuesday. Defending league champion Washington and Lee University collected nine first-place votes and the poll’s top spot with 99 points. Roanoke College is second, followed by Randolph-Macon College and Shenandoah University.
The Quakers return five starters among 11 letter winners from last year’s 12-7 club that posted an 8-2 ODAC record and reached the league tournament final. Guilford will miss 2014 All-American E’leyna Garcia and 2014 NCAA Division III scoring champion Lily Colley, but coach Sarah Lamphier starts her third season with a pair of returning all-conference performers. Senior Eleanora Keene, a three-time First Team All-ODAC selection and the Quakers’ career leader in draw controls, returns in the midfield. Lamphier had high hopes for Summer Fowler, a two-time first-team all-league defender, but the junior suffered a season-ending injury last month and will apply for a medical redshirt.
Keene is Guilford’s top returning scorer after collecting 64 points a year ago on 57 goals and seven assists. She also led the Quakers in ground balls (61), draw controls (118) and caused turnovers (25). With Fowler sidelined, junior Ashly Bennington returns as the Quakers’ most experienced defender. She started all 19 games last year in front of goalie Sammi Milbourn, whose sophomore season will be delayed a few weeks due to a preseason injury. Rookie Sarah Sedaghat is the expected starter in goal. Other key veterans include senior midfielder Anna Howard, junior midfielder Marina Bailey and sophomore Demming Carlow.
The Quakers open the 2015 campaign February 18 against crosstown-rival Greensboro College in Guilford’s Armfield Athletic Center at 3:30 p.m. The team’s first ODAC contest is March 14 versus visiting Randolph-Macon at 1:00 p.m.
2015 ODAC WOMEN’S LACROSSE PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes
1. Washington and Lee (9) 99 pts.
2. Roanoke 84 pts.
3. Randolph-Macon (1) 78 pts.
4. Shenandoah (1) 74 pts.
5. Guilford 71 pts.
6. Lynchburg 59 pts.
7. Bridgewater 41 pts.
8. Virginia Wesleyan 40 pts.
9. Randolph 30 pts.
10. Sweet Briar 19 pts.
11. Hollins 10 pts.