Johns Hopkins
American Lacrosse Conference
Last season: 10-7
Coach: Janine Tucker (18th season, 192-96)
Top returning point getter:
Candace Rossi, junior A (35 goals, 17 assists)
Other key returnees
• Colleen McCaffrey, junior A (31, 11)
• Brooke Lipinski, senior D
• Alyssa Kildare, junior D
• Brooke Foussadier, senior M (10, 1)
• Cosette Larash, sophomore G
Key newcomers
• Taylor D'Amore, freshman M
• Sarah Taylor, freshman M
• Sammy Cermack, freshman M
Outlook: After struggling in 2009, the Blue Jays bounced back last spring with their best record in three years and a third-place conference finish behind Northwestern and Vanderbilt. They had lost to 20 straight ranked opponents before beating a pair of No. 17s, Penn State and Ohio State, to end the regular season. Postseason, however, came to a sour end with a 14-3 loss in the ALC quarterfinals to Florida, a team the Jays had beaten handily two months earlier. Late in the season, Tucker started six freshmen or sophomores and ended up getting 55 percent of her scoring from the underclassmen. This spring, the Jays have a balanced attack and a veteran defense to bookend a developing midfield and they could gain ground on the national scene although the bigger challenge will be trying to move up in a conference dominated by Northwestern.
Last season: 11-7
Coach: Jen Adams (third season, 22-13)
Top returning point-getter:
Grace Gavin, senior M (64, 23)
Other key returnees
• Cara Filippelli, senior M (23, 5)
• Abby Rehfuss, senior M (23, 7)
• Ana Heneberry, junior D
• Kellye Gallagher, senior D
• Kerry Stoothoff, junior G
Key newcomers
• Ali Carpenter, freshman, M
Taryn VanThof, freshman M
• Marlee Paton, freshman M
• Katherine Reinhard, freshman D
Outlook: The Greyhounds lost four games by one goal last spring, including two in double overtime and Adams said they just didn't have the midfield depth to pull those out. Now, she's confident they do. With the personnel to better support their up-tempo pace, the Greyhounds could be moving up quickly in the Big East, where they were fourth a year ago. Their worst loss came by four goals and they return 10 starters including six of their top seven scorers. Most of a defense that allowed just 9.86 goal a game is also back along with veteran goalie Stoothoff. With a good freshman class and the return of midfielder Cass Cursaro from a knee injury, they should only get better as Adams aims for their first NCAA tournament bid since 2004.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Last season: 22-1, National champions
Coach: Cathy Reese (fifth season, 77-9; eighth season overall, 108-38)
Top returning point-getter
Karri Ellen Johnson, junior A (69, 19)
Other key returnees
• Sarah Mollison, senior A (45, 30)
Katie Schwarzmann, sophomore M (33, 11)
• Laura Merrifield, senior M (27, 5)
• Katie Gallagher, senior, D
• Brandi Jones, senior M (22, 13)
• Brittany Poist, senior D
• Brittany Dipper, junior G
Key newcomers
Beth Glaros, freshman M
• Jen Mendez, freshman M/D
• Amalie Trentzsch, freshman M
Outlook: The Terrapins dethroned five-time defending champion Northwestern, 13-11, last spring to bring the national title to College Park for the first time since 2001. With plenty of firepower and a stellar defense, the Terps are the preseason favorites to add another big trophy to their case. Although a few key players graduated, including Tewaaraton Trophy winner Caitlyn McFadden, and a couple of starting defenders, the Terps have the talent to fill all the holes. They return three All-Americans in Johnson, Mollison and Schwarzmann while Gallagher is back on defense after illness sidelined her last spring. Six of Maryland's top seven scorers return, bringing back 215 of the 330 goals the Terps scored a year ago -- more than twice as many as the opposition. Maryland fans should book their tickets now to the Memorial Day weekend national finals at Stony Brook.
Last season: 8-9
Coach: B.J. Lucey (first season)
Top returning point-getter
Esther Rufolo, junior M (25, 5)
Other key returnees
• Aly Jost, senior D
• Lucy Pompa, senior M (15, 4)
• Brigid McTavish, junior G
• Alexis Salerno, senior, A (12, 3)
• Meaghan Conlon, junior M (8, 3)
• Kaitlyn Larrimore, sophomore M
Key newcomers
• Gabe Little, freshman D
• Lindsay Diaz, freshman M
• Mary MacAdam, freshman, M
Outlook: The Mountaineers are looking for a little stability with their fourth coach in a year and a half. Lucey took over in January after Lindsey Munday left, just five months after she was hired, to take over the new program at the University of Southern California. Lucey, who had been an assistant coach at Penn State, said the players have handled the transition well over the last month with help from first-year assistant coach Hilary Bowen, who has been at the Mount since last fall. Lucey hasn't made a lot of big changes, opting to build off what was started in the fall. That's been especially important for a young team with nine freshmen on the 20-player roster. The Mountaineers lost their top three scorers and look for a balanced attack with a lot of scoring coming from the midfield. They have a solid defensive core in Jost and McTavish.
Navy
Last season: 17-4; NCAA first round
Coach: Cindy Timchal (fourth season, 43-13; 29th season overall, 379-99)
Top returning point-getter
• Dani Vivonetto, junior A (62, 6)
Other key returnees
• Caitlin Mandrin Hill, senior A (33, 29)
• Katrina Nietsch, senior M (31, 13)
• Beth Young, sophomore M/D
Kathy Young, sophomore M (28, 15)
• Baileigh Kimball, senior D
• Elaina Ponchione, junior G
Key newcomers
• Aimee Gennaro, freshman, A
• S.A. Fogleman, freshman, A
• Jill Coughlin, freshman, M
Outlook: In their third season as a varsity program last spring, the Midshipmen won their first Patriot League championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament. They return 10 starters but lost two four-year players who led the way on the field as Timchal built the program around them. The Patriots again boast a balanced team with a lot of scoring potential. Vivonetto, who should return shortly from a knee injury, leads a high-powered offense that ranked among the nation's most prolific last season with 305 goals. The Midshipmen continue to test the waters of the upper echelon of Division I lacrosse with Northwestern coming to Annapolis next month. While the Midshipmen likely aren't ready to push the five-time national champion Wildcats, they have a good shot to repeat as Patriot League champs and head back to the NCAA tournament.
Colonial Athletic Association
Last season: 13-5, NCAA first round
Coach: Sonia LaMonica (first season, 8-9 overall)
Top returning point-getter:
Jess Dunn senior A (47, 2)
Other key returnees
Ashley Waldron, sophomore M (17, 12)
• Alexa Demski, sophomore D
• MaryEllen Elie, senior D
• Mary Teeters, junior G
• Ali Lathroum, senior M
Key newcomers
• Kelly Murkey, freshman M
• Katie Leech, freshman M
• Rhiannon Coogle, freshman A
• Andi Raymond, freshman M
• Kaitlin Sheridan, freshman D
Outlook: LaMonica, a former Maryland All-American and Australia national team player, is back on familiar ground after a year at Mount St. Mary's, returning to Towson where she was an assistant coach in 2008 and 2009. That familiarity helped the Tigers make a smooth transition to their first new coach in eight years after Missy Doherty left for Penn State. The Tigers suffered significant losses to graduation, including two-time CAA Player of the Year Hillary Fratzke, and they lost more than half of their scoring from a team that reached their third straight NCAA tournament. Still LaMonica thinks of this as a reloading season rather than a rebuilding one based on a strong freshman class that could land as many as five players in the starting lineup. If the offense needs a while to mesh with a lot of newcomers in the midfield, the line defense should be able to hold up with Teeters, Demski and Elie all returning from strong seasons.
UMBC
Last season: 11-7
Coach: Kelly Berger (second season, 11-7)
Top returning point-getter
Erika Braerman, senior A (32, 22)
Other key returnees
• Amanda Pappas, senior M (34,8)
• Alicia Krause, junior A (24, 9)
• Ashley Stodter, senior A (33, 4)
• Emily Coady, junior A (35, 8)
• Lindsay Cox, sophomore M
Jamie Fahey, sophomore D
Key newcomers
• Kristen Bilney, freshman M
• Taelar Errington, freshman M
• Madi Bell, junior M
Outlook: In her first season, Berger had the Retrievers competitive in all but a couple of games. Now, she wants then to show more confidence in their ability to win in what could be a close conference race. Although Berger said New Hampshire, Boston University and Albany are the frontrunners, she sees no reason why the Retrievers shouldn't be in that race. The Retrievers have an ambitious non-league schedule with Florida, Towson, Loyola and Johns Hopkins, but last season, they pushed Loyola before falling 7-4. Their top five scorers return, bringing back 80 percent of the goals. They also are more experienced on defense and have the reigning America East Rookie of the Year in Fahey. The biggest hole, however, is in the goal where three players are battling for the job.