Full Centennial Conference Release
HAVERFORD, Pa. - After making a conference semifinal appearance a season ago, the Haverford College women's lacrosse team has been picked third in the 2020 Centennial Conference preseason poll. The annual preseason prognostication is voted on solely by the conference's 10 head coaches. Haverford received a total of 61 total voting points, behind only top 10 nationally ranked squads from Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall.
Gettysburg once again took home the top spot in the prediction, grabbing all nine possible first place tallies and 81 total voting points. Franklin & Marshall took the other first place vote, and 72 total voting points. Haverford was ranked ahead of its first-round opponent from last season's Centennial tournament, Dickinson, as the Red Devils finished were picked fourth with 56 total voting points. Dickinson clipped Washington College, as the Shorewomen were selected fifth with 54 voting points. Swarthmore (39 voting points), Muhlenberg (33), McDaniel (24), Ursinus (21), and Bryn Mawr (9) were picked sixth through 10th, respectively.
Last season, women's lacrosse advanced to the semifinals of the Centennial Conference tournament for the first time since 2015, and defeated a pair of nationally-ranked opponents in the process. The Fords took a road win in the Centennial Conference First Round at No. 22 Dickinson, using a second-half surge to eventually down the Red Devils by an 11-10 final and advance into a semifinal meeting with F&M. The Fords previously posted their highest-ranked victory in program history with a 12-10 win on Swan Field against then-No. 3 TCNJ early in the year.
Haverford has made the postseason in seven of the past 10 seasons, including each of head coach Katie Zichelli's first two years leading the program. The Fords return four All-Centennial Conference players from a season ago as first-team defender Anna Meyers joins Emily Krupnick and Maeve Gaffney as all-conference honorees to step into the captaincy in 2020. The program's all-time assists leader, Julia Manetta, is also back for her senior season after an IWLCA All-Region campaign in which she set new single-season program record for total assists (64) and assists per game (3.56), ranking fourth in all of Division III in total assists during 2019.
Women's Lacrosse begins the season at home for the second straight year, welcoming Moravian to Swan Field on February 22. Opening draw for the contest is slated for noon. Haverford will be facing off with the Greyhounds for the first time since 2004.