UMO women’s lacrosse team is nationally ranked
MOUNT OLIVE – After claiming consecutive Conference Carolinas championships, the University of Mount Olive women’s lacrosse team was chosen No. 20 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Top 20, as announced by USA Lacrosse Magazine on Wednesday.
UMO finished the 2022 season with a 14-5 overall record and a perfect 9-0 mark in conference play. The Trojans hold an impressive 25-game winning streak in league play, which started in March 2019. Mount Olive has won back-to-back regular season and tournament titles while expectations continue to grow under two-time Coach of the Year Heather Coppola.
The Trojans brought back nine all-conference selections from last season, including four first-team recipients. Graduate student Meagan Maxwell returns on the attack for UMO after pacing the team with 61 points on 20 goals and 41 assists. The New York native led the conference and ranked among the top 15 nationally in assists last season.
Senior Camryn Youngblood from Maryland will aid the defensive efforts after collecting 14 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers the previous year. The women’s lacrosse 2022 Scholar-Athlete of the Year graduate student Zoe Daugherty of New York also returns to the lineup following 31 points on 18 goals and 13 assists while contributing 33 draw controls. Mount Olive will also feature senior goalkeeper Claire Hagen from Minnesota after she posted an 11-5 record last season with 94 saves on nearly 300 shots faced in 16 starts.
East Stroudsburg was selected as the preseason favorites after finishing national runner-up last season with a 20-2 record. ESU was the popular choice among the coaches on the ballot for the preseason rankings. Adelphi ranks second in the poll following an appearance in the national semifinals while posting an 18-3 mark in 2022. West Chester was picked third in the rankings after a 17-3 record last year and a fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. Le Moyne was slotted fourth in the poll, while Grand Valley State was placed fifth in the preseason top 20.
— From University of Mount Olive Athletics
