Monmouth and Fairfield Split MAAC Preseason Women’s Lacrosse Honors, Nicole Ceraso Named Preseason Player of the Year
Monmouth and Fairfield Split MAAC Preseason Women’s Lacrosse Honors, Nicole Ceraso Named Preseason Player of the Year
Edison, N.J. (Feb. 4, 2020) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced Tuesday that Monmouth University and Fairfield University have been selected as the 2020 MAAC women’s lacrosse preseason favorites, as voted on by the league’s nine head coaches. Monmouth senior attack Nicole Ceraso was selected as the 2020 Preseason Player of the Year.
The Hawks and Stags tied at the top of the poll, each receiving 70 points. The Hawks led with four first place votes, the Stags collected two.
Monmouth’s Ceraso led the MAAC last season with 2.5 assists per game and ranked second in points per game with 4.67, earning her 2019 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Ceraso is joined on the Preseason All-MAAC Team by teammates Allison Turturro, Megan Hart, and Rachel Mills. Turturro led the team and placed third in the MAAC with 53 goals last season, while Mills ranked eight in the MAAC in caused turnovers (1.33) and Hart placed third in draw controls (5.61). Monmouth had the league’s highest-powered offense in 2019, averaging 13.38 goals and 19.06 points per game. The Hawks advanced to last season’s semifinal round as the No. 2 seed before being eliminated to runner-up and No. 3 seed Siena College.
Fairfield is coming off the program’s second-straight MAAC Championship, winning the 2019 title as the conference’s top seed and championship host. Representing the Stags on the Preseason All-MAAC team are Kelly Horning and Maggie Reynolds. Horning led the Stags in 2019 with 49 ground balls from the midfield position, where Reynolds followed closely behind with 46 anchoring the Fairfield defense.
Siena College followed closely behind in the coaches’ poll with 69 points and two first place votes. The Saints made the championship game last season, falling 10-9 to the Stags in overtime. Siena’s offense ranked second in 2019 in goals (12.68), assists (5.37), and points (18.05) per game. Making the Preseason All-MAAC Team for the Saints was Nicole McNeely, Kerry Gerety, Annie Brennan and Therese Pitman. Gerety led the Saints in assists (1.63) and points (3.79) last season, while McNeely led the team in goals (2.42).
Marist College placed fourth in the coaches’ poll with 58 points and one first place vote. Three Red Foxes were named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team in Samantha Mehalick, Annie Sheehy, and Delaney Galvin. Mehalick paced the MAAC in goals (4.39) and points (4.89) by the conclusion of the 2019 campaign, finding the back of the net 11 times in a come-from-behind victory over Manhattan College in the first round of last year’s championship.
Finishing in fifth in the coaches’ poll was Manhattan with 34 points, followed by Quinnipiac University and Niagara University with 33 and 29 points respectively. Niagara’s Lauren Paul was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Team after being named a Second Team All-MAAC selection at the conclusion of last season. Rounding out the 2020 MAAC Preseason Poll was Canisius College with 28 points and Iona College with 14 points.
Preseason Player of the Year: Nicole Ceraso, Monmouth
| 2020 Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Player |
Position |
Class Year |
Institution |
| Samantha Mehalick* |
Attack |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Nicole Ceraso |
Attack |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Allison Turturro |
Attack |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Nicole McNeely |
Attack |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Kelly Horning |
Midfield |
Jr. |
Fairfield |
| Megan Hart |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Rachel Mills |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Kerry Gerety |
Midfield |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Annie Brennan |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Maggie Reynolds |
Defense |
Jr. |
Fairfield |
| Annie Sheehy |
Defense |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Lauren Paul |
Defense |
Sr. |
Niagara |
| Therese Pitman |
Defense |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Delaney Galvin |
Goalkeeper |
Jr. |
Marist |
* Denotes Unanimous Selection
| 2020 MAAC WLAX Preseason Poll |
| Place |
Team |
Points |
| T1 |
Monmouth (4) |
70 |
| T1 |
Fairfield (2) |
70 |
| 3 |
Siena (2) |
69 |
| 4 |
Marist (1) |
58 |
| 5 |
Manhattan |
34 |
| 6 |
Quinnipiac |
33 |
| 7 |
Niagara |
29 |
| 8 |
Canisius |
28 |
| 9 |
Iona |
14 |
Stay up to date with all MAAC women’s lacrosse action by following
@MAACSports and
#MAACLAX on social media, and by visiting
maacsports.com/wlax.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.