Date: February 22, 2005
Contact: Brian Laubscher (540) 458-8676
Release: Upon Receipt

W&L WOMEN'S LACROSSE RANKED 20TH IN IWLCA PRESEASON POLL
Generals Return Eight Starters and 21 Letterwinners

Senior Kitt Murphy

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Washington and Lee women's lacrosse team is ranked 20th in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Preseason Poll which was released on Tuesday morning.

Middlebury sits atop the poll with 14 first-place votes, followed by The College of New Jersey (one vote), Amherst, Salisbury, Colorado College, Bowdoin, Williams, Wheaton, Hamilton, Union, St. Mary's, Wesleyan, William Smith, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Mary Washington, Ithaca, Cortland, Stevens Tech and W&L.

The Generals return eight starters and 21 letterwinners from last season's squad which went 15-4 overall, won the ODAC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

Headlining the returnees is senior midfielder Kitt Murphy (New York, N.Y./St. Catherines) who has twice earned First Team All-ODAC honors.

W&L opens its 2005 season on Saturday as it hosts 11th-ranked St. Mary's of Maryland at 2:00 pm. During the course of the season, the Generals will also face second-ranked TCNJ, seventh-ranked Williams, 14th-ranked Franklin & Marshall and 16th-ranked Mary Washington.

-- GENERALS --