Maryland was selected by Big Ten Conference coaches as the 2023 preseason favorite for women’s lacrosse. Terps follow Northwestern in second in the poll, Rutgers third, Michigan fourth, and Johns Hopkins fifth, with Ohio State and Penn State finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.
All seven head coaches voted in the preseason poll, picking three players from their own teams for the Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List.
2022 Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Champion Maryland started 19-2 last season and lost 17-16 to Boston College in the NCAA Tournament National Semifinals.
The Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List features 21 standout players from the seven schools, including 13 2022 All-Big Ten honorees and four of the five 2022 Women’s Lacrosse Award winners. Returning first-team All-Big Ten honorees include Maryland’s Abby Bosco and Emily Sterling, Michigan’s Maddie Burns, Penn State’s Kristin O’Neill, and Rutgers’ Cassidy Spilis and Meghan Ball. Bosco and Sterling were named Big Ten Defenseman and Goaltender of the Year, respectively, while Spilis was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. Last season’s Big Ten Newcomer of the Year, Northwestern’s Sammy White is also included in the Players to Watch List.
The 2022 Big Ten Women’s Lacrosse Tournament begins Saturday, April 29 with three quarterfinal round matches at the number two, three, and four campuses. The quarterfinal winners, along with the top seeds, will advance to the semifinals on Thursday, May 4, with the championship game two days later in Ohio State.
The 2023 pre-season survey and full list of players to watch is below.
2023 BIG TEN WOMEN’S LACROSSE PRE-SEASON SURVEY
1. Maryland
2. Northwest
3. Rueger
4.Michigan
5.Johns Hopkins
6. State of Ohio
7. Penn State
2023 WOMEN’S LACROSSE PRESEASON PLAYERS SEEN
Maeve Barker, Sr., Johns Hopkins
Georgie Gorelick, Jr., Johns Hopkins
Annie Marshall, So., Johns Hopkins
Abby Bosco, Gr., Maryland
Emily Sterling, Sr., Maryland
Shaylan Ahearn, Sr., Maryland
Maddie Burns, Jr., Michigan
Morgan Whitaker, Gr., Michigan
Kaley Thompson, Gr., Michigan
Izzy Scane, Gr., Northwest
Erin Coykendall, Sr., Northwest
Sammy White, So., Northwest
Chloe Johnson, Sr., State of Ohio
Nicole Ferrara, Sr., Ohio State
Ava Keethler, Gr., Ohio State
Kristin O’Neill, Jr., Penn State
Ellie Hollin, So., Penn State
Sammy Dupcak, Jr., Penn State
Cassidy Spilis, Sr., Rutgers
Meghan Ball, Sr., Rutgers
Marin Hartshorn, Gr., Rutgers
