Blazer Lacrosse Picked To Win NECC

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – After tearing through the New England Collegiate Conference with a 7-1 league record and reaching the NECC Championship Game in 2017, the Elms College women’s lacrosse team was picked as the NECC favorite in 2018, the league announced on Friday.

Elms finished with a 13-3 overall record in 2017, with two of the three losses, including a 15-13 defeat in the NECC title game, coming against Regis (Mass.), which left the NECC after last season.

The Blazers return seven starters from last year’s squad, headlined by 2017 first-team all-NECC selection Jackie Soucia. The senior torched NECC opponents to the tune of 13 goals and nine assists last season and tallied 31 goals and 16 assists overall.

The Blazers picked up five first-place votes and tallied 44 points in the coaches vote, edging Southern Vermont College, which was picked second with 43 points and two first-place votes. Becker earned the final first-place vote and was picked third with 36 points in the poll, followed by Wheelock (34), Mitchell (27), and Bay Path (18). Dean (11) and Newbury (11) were tied at seventh.

Elms will be led by head coach Rosamaria Riccobono in 2018. The rookie skipper was a four-year member of the women’s lacrosse program at Eastern Connecticut State.

2018 NECC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1.     Elms- 44 (5)

2.     Southern Vermont- 43 (2)

3.     Becker- 36 (1)

4.     Wheelock- 34

5.     Mitchell- 27

6.     Bay Path – 18

T7.  Dean – 11

T7.  Newbury- 11