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Duke Women's Lacrosse News |
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February 3, 2009 |
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Blue Devils Ranked Third In IWLCA Preseason Poll |
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DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke women’s lacrosse team was tabbed third in the nation in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) preseason poll, the organization announced today. It marks the second preseason poll that saw Duke ranked No. 3, as it was also given that nod in the Lacrosse Magazine poll release in December.
Four-time defending national champions Northwestern received 19 of 20 first-place votes and sit at No. 1 in the country, followed by Syracuse at No. 2 ahead of the Blue Devils. ACC rival Virginia and Penn – which defeated Duke last season in the Final Four – round out the top-five.
The ACC was one of two conferences with four teams ranked in the top-20, along with the Ivy League. All four ACC schools – Duke, Virginia, Maryland (6), and North Carolina (9) – found the top-10.
The Blue Devils will face the University of Denver on Feb. 13 to open the regular season, with the Pioneers one of the nine currently ranked teams on the schedule. Seven of Duke’s 2009 opponents reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
Duke returns nine starters from a 2008 campaign in which the Blue Devils finished 13-8 (3-2 ACC) and received a final regular-season ranking of 11 before an eventual 9-8 overtime loss to Penn in the national semifinals. The trip there was Duke’s fourth in a row.
Source: Duke Athletic Communications
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