Albion College and Calvin College are the top contenders for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association women's lacrosse championship, according to a poll of the league coaches released today.
Under the direction of Shanta Loecker, in her fifth season as head coach at Albion, the Britons ran the table against their MIAA rivals to win their first championship last season, but they fell, 12-11, to Calvin in the MIAA Tournament final.
"For now, we are putting 100 percent of our focus on learning and improvement," Loecker said of her squad which doesn't have a senior on the roster. "We have a great, young group, and look forward to a new year with this new team."
Headlining Albion's 2017 squad are two juniors – Cait Gaitley and Taylor Nelson – who achieved all-MIAA first team status last season. Another junior, Shannon Kahl, was an all-MIAA second team pick last season.
Albion will take its first draw of the season Feb. 25 when it squares off against Wittenberg (Ohio) University. The first MIAA contest is set for April 5 at Alma College.
The MIAA women's lacrosse coaches poll is listed below.
|
|
First Place Votes |
Total Points |
|
5 |
61 |
|
3 |
56 |
|
1 |
50 |
|
0 |
36 |
|
0 |
36 |
|
0 |
32 |
|
0 |
29 |
|
0 |
16 |
|
0 |
8 |