Read full release at Northeast10.org

MANSFIELD, Mass. – After being ranked No. 15 in the nation in a preseason poll earlier this week, the New Haven women's lacrosse team has been selected third in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced on Thursday.

The Chargers earned 132 points in the poll, finishing behind only defending national champion Adelphi and Le Moyne. Adelphi received 12 out of 14 first place votes, with the Dolphins receiving the other two. Pace finished one point behind New Haven in fourth, while Assumption rounded out the top five.

Last season, the Chargers finished in a four-way tie for third place with a 12-7 (9-4 NE10) record, earning the No. 6 seed in the NE10 tournament, where they took down Pace on the road in overtime in a quarterfinal matchup to earn a trip to the NE10 semifinals.

Earlier this week, the IWLCA ranked the Chargers No. 15 nationally in its preseason Division II poll. New Haven one of six Northeast-10 teams to be represented in the top 25 poll, the most of any conference in the nation. Reigning DII national champion Adelphi claimed the top spot in the preseason ledger, followed by West Chester, Le Moyne, Regis (Colo.) and Queens (N.C.) to round out the top five. Assumption (16), Bentley (17) and Pace (18) also represented the NE10 in the rankings.

New Haven was ranked each week in the national polls a season ago, climbing as high as No. 16 in four different weeks. The Chargers finished the 2019 season with a 12-7 (9-4 NE10) record to earn the No. 6 seed in the NE10 Conference Tournament, where they advanced to the conference semifinals.

The 2020 season kicks off next month on Feb. 29 at home against Holy Family.