Women's Lacrosse

West Chester, Seton Hill selected No. 1 in 2024 PSAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Polls

West Chester collected the maximum six first-place votes in the East, while Seton Hill's four first-place votes edged out IUP's three in the West.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The West Chester Golden Rams and Seton Hill Griffins have been voted as the top teams in the Eastern and Western divisions, respectively, in the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Polls.

The polls are voted on by the conference’s head coaches.

In the Eastern Division poll, West Chester received the maximum six first-place votes, with No. 2 East Stroudsburg receiving the other. Seton Hill sits atop the Western Division poll after collecting four first-place votes, with IUP (three first-place votes) not far behind in the No. 2 spot.

Find the complete polls as well as team-by-team capsules below.
 
EASTERN DIVISION POLL (# of first place votes)
 
1. West Chester (6)
2. East Stroudsburg (1)
3. Kutztown
4. Millersville
5. Bloomsburg
6. Shepherd
7. Shippensburg
 
 
WESTERN DIVISION POLL (# of first place votes)
 
1. Seton Hill (4)
2. IUP (3)
3. Slippery Rock
4. Mercyhurst
5. Lock Haven
6. Gannon
7. Edinboro
 
EASTERN DIVISION
 
West Chester sits atop the 2024 PSAC Women’s Lacrosse preseason poll after a historic season in 2023. The Golden Rams’ 21 victories were a new NCAA single-season record, and the team’s only loss came in the NCAA Championship Game to Pace University. West Chester, ranked No. 1 in the country for the majority of the season, led the conference in most categories and scored 407 goals, over 130 more than the second-highest total. WCU’s margin of victory was a whopping 10.1 and the team returns all but one starter in 2024, including PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year Hannah Stanislawczyk (92 goals, 13 assists), Keri Barnett (82 goals, 19 assists), and 2023 Division II Goalkeeper of the Year Jessica Gorr – who led the conference in goals-against-average (7.61), made 181 saves, and carried a save percentage of .522 (second-best in the PSAC.)
 
The East Stroudsburg Warriors (14-6 overall, 9-3 PSAC) were voted No. 2 in the poll. ESU advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship game last spring, narrowly losing to West Chester, 10-8, and returns plenty of talent from that team. Coming back is Emily Mitarotonda, who scored 84 goals with 15 assists for an average of 4.71 points per game, second-best in the conference. Also returning is PSAC Eastern Division Freshman of the Year honoree Hannah Schiemer, who debuted last spring with a 32-goal campaign. ESU dropped the opener of the 2023 PSAC Tournament to Kutztown, 12-9, but flipped the script in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Atlantic Regional, defeating the Golden Bears 15-8.
 
Kutztown (13-6 overall, 9-3 PSAC) claims the No. 3 spot in the poll. The Golden Bears put together one of the best seasons in their history in 2023, with a program record-tying 13 wins, its first-ever PSAC Championship Game appearance, and its first NCAA Division II Championship appearance. Top point-getter Emma Meakim returns after scoring 23 goals and assisting on 59 others. Her fellow senior Shannon Lake (44 goals, 13 assists) and joins juniors Sam Graf (52 goals, 16 assists) and Lailah ElBouazzaoui (52 goals, seven assists.) Graduate student Jenna Blesson (10.48 goals-against-average, sixth-best in the conference) is back in cage to help the Golden Bears shore up defensively.
 
The Millersville Marauders (9-8 overall, 6-6 PSAC) were voted as the No. 4 team. Top returners include Ashlyn Simonetti (30 goals, 29 assists) and Liv Genovese (48 goals, 3 assists) while the Ville’s 231 total goals were the fifth-most in the conference. Goalkeeper Morgan Scott led the PSAC in saves per game with 12.06 and had the fifth-best save percentage (.464).

The remainder of the 2024 PSAC Women’s Lacrosse Eastern Division Preseason Poll is rounded out by Bloomsburg at No. 5, followed by Shepherd at No. 6 and Shippensburg at No. 7.
 
WESTERN DIVISION

The top spot in the Western Division Preseason Poll goes to Seton Hill, who finished 2023 with an overall record of 15-5 (12-0 PSAC). The Griffins scored 271 goals last spring, the second-highest total in the conference, and were second-best in assists per game at 6.95. A strong core returns that includes the 2023 PSAC Western Division Defensive Player of the Year Makayla Kintner as well as the team’s top point scorer Skylar Orlowski (43 goals, 26 assists), Carleigh Sutfin (34 goals, 15 assists), Piper Conlan (37 goals, 10 assists), and 2023 PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Year Mila Udovicic (19 goals, 31 assists.) Seton Hill also has a new coach, as Dina Cifelli takes over to guide the Griffins in 2024.
 
The No. 2 team in this year’s poll, the IUP Crimson Hawks (12-6 overall, 10-2 PSAC), also return a ton of talent from a year ago, when the squad ranked first in the PSAC in goals allowed (just 138 total) and sixth in goals scored with 224. Goalkeeper Maddy Schramm returns after tallying the second-best goals-against-average (8.42) in the conference. Offensively, the Crimson Hawks are led by Kathryn Burke (33 goals, 23 assists in 2023), Chantal Jimenez (33 goals, 10 assists), Leah Moyer (34 goals, seven assists), Brenna Whiteside (27 goals, 12 assists), and Sarah Reustle – who played in just 10 games but scored 29 goals and assisted on six others.
 
Slippery Rock (10-7 overall, 6-6 PSAC) comes in at No. 3 in the poll and features the returning PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Year Charleigh Rondeau, with the graduate student totaling 20 goals, 14 assists, and a conference-best average of 8.44 draw controls per game. A trio of veterans is also back on offense, with seniors Lauren Searles (37 goals, 10 assists), Camryn Whipple (21 goals, 16 assists), and Brooke Wisniewski (32 goals, three assists.) Another senior, goalie Gillian O’Rourke, is back to guard the cage and carried the conference’s fifth-best goals against average (10.20) last season.
 
Mercyhurst (9-9 overall, 6-6 PSAC) lands in the No. 4 spot. The Lakers qualified as the Western Division’s third seed last spring and upset No. 2 seed IUP in the first round of the PSAC Tournament after an 11-10 double overtime win. Mercyhurst’s top returning points-getter is Whitley Easton, who scored 23 goals with 13 assists as a freshman last spring. Goalie Paige Maneri also returns, with the fourth-lowest goals allowed total (145) in the entire conference.

The remainder of the 2024 PSAC Women’s Lacrosse Western Division Preseason Poll is rounded out by Lock Haven at No. 5, followed by Gannon and Edinboro at No. 6 and No. 7.