BAY CITY, Mich. - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) women's lacrosse coaches selected Grand Valley State University to win the league title in the 2016 GLIAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll. The Lakers are the three-time defending GLIAC regular season and tournament champions since the sports inception in 2013.

The league's head coaches participated in the balloting, but were not allowed to vote for their team.

GVSU finished atop of the 2016 GLIAC Preseason poll after receiving 36 points and all six eligible first place-votes. Tiffin University arrived in second with 28 points and one first-place vote, narrowly ahead of Findlay who also tallied 28 points.

The Lake Erie Storm and McKendree Bearcats both tied for fourth with 19 points a piece, while Indianapolis accumulated 10 points and a sixth-place ranking entering their inaugural season. The Walsh Cavaliers appeared in the final position with seven points.

The 2016 GLIAC women's lacrosse schedule will feature a single round-robin format with each of the seven teams playing 12 conference games beginning on March 20.  The GLIAC women's lacrosse tournament will include the top six teams in the final regular season standings with the top two teams receiving byes into the semifinals.  GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal matches will be played at the sites of the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds on Tuesday, May 3.  The Tournament semifinals and final will be held at the site of the No. 1 seed on Friday, May 6 and Sunday, May 8.

-- The following are previews of all seven GLIAC Lacrosse teams for the 2016 season --

Grand Valley State Lakers
Head Coach:  Alicia Groveston
5th Season
2016 Preseason Pick: 1st

OVERVIEW: 

After their best finish in program history, three-time GLIAC regular season and tournament champion Grand Valley State welcomes back nine starters and 24 total letterwinners while bringing in eight new faces as the Lakers set their sights on their fourth straight sweep of the conference titles as well as their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The strength of this year's offense will rest on the shoulders of juniors Erika Neumen and Ryan Skomial, and senior Carolyn Kraus. Named a Third Team All-American by the IWLCA and Synapse Sports, Neumen set school records for points (91) and goals (75) in a season and was named GLIAC Tournament MVP. Skomial was named All-GLIAC First Team after finishing second on the team in points (53) and assists (28) while adding in 25 goals and a team-leading 66 draw control wins. An All-GLIAC Honorable Mention last season, Kraus ranked second on the team in draw controls (56) and ground balls (31) while also contributing 22 goals and five assists. 

After graduating two 19-game starters and returning only three players who saw significant minutes last season, the Lakers will feature a youthful backline in 2016. Headlining the defense will be senior Caitlin Wojichowski, an 18-game starter and All-GLIAC First Team selection. The defender ranked second on the team in caused turnovers (22) and ground balls (32), and is poised to have another strong year in a Laker uniform.

Anchoring the Lakers in net will be All-GLIAC Second Team honoree Sarah Zwilsky. A 15-game winner in 2015, the junior ranked seventh in the country in goals-against average (7.32) and ninth in save percentage (49.1). Having played every minute of every game last season, Zwilsky holds the program record for highest career save percentage (47.3), wins (25), and ranks second for saves in a career (223).

Three-time GLIAC Coach of the Year and 2015 IWLCA Division II North Region Coach of the Year Alicia Groveston will be roaming the GVSU sidelines for her fifth season. Groveston holds a 51-21 record in her four seasons as Laker head coach, and will be looking to lead the team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Grand Valley State will be the visiting team in their first five games of the season, all against teams who finished 2015 ranked in the final IWLCA poll. The season begins with a two-game trip in Florida to take on Florida Southern and defending National Champion Adelphi.

Tiffin Dragons
Head Coach: Erica Brown
4th Season
2016 Preseason Pick: T-2nd

OVERVIEW: 

The Tiffin University lacrosse team returns this season with GLIAC title hopes, having been the runner-up the past three seasons. Overall, the Dragons finished 11-8 and 6-1 in GLIAC play.

Tiffin returns 12 players from a year ago, with five being All-GLIAC honorees. First team selection Emily Roussel returns after scoring a team high 69 goals. Tori Nelson, 1st team All-GLIAC, scored 52 goals and led the team in draw controls with 99. Gina Abulone, 2nd team All-GLIAC, handed out a team high 47 assists while scoring 20 goals. Randi Castner, 2nd team All-GLIAC, snagged 30 ground balls and caused 23 turnovers. Megan Belch, All-GLIAC Honorable Mention, collected 26 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers. 

The Dragons have added seven newcomers to an already talented roster. Amie Morrison is one of those additions, hailing from Burnaby, British Columbia. Morrison adds depth to the midfield for the Dragons, having won two Provincial Gold Medals. Kat Schneeberger, a freshman from Oviedo, Florida, may have the biggest shoes to fill. Schneeberger must step into goal for the Dragons with the graduation of Jessica Bombard. Kat was named Seminole County Conference Player of the Year, 1^st team All-County, and BHSN Women's Lacrosse Athlete of the Year. Aitana Baumgartel is another talented midfielder that will see playing time. Baumgartel, a native of Temecula, California, was awarded the Dollars for Scholars Lacrosse Scholarship while attending Great Oaks High School.

The Dragons open the season February 24, traveling to take on the Seton Hill Griffins. GLIAC competition begins March 20, with the Dragons locking horns with the Findlay Oilers. 

Findlay Oilers
Head Coach: Julie Duffy
6th Season
2016 Preseason Pick: T-2nd

OVERVIEW: 

The Oilers are coming off of an 8-10 season, which featured a 5-2 record in conference play. Senior Sarah Lankton returns to lead the team after being named a third team All-American last year. Lankton, who was also selected as the GLIAC Midfielder of the Year, recorded 69 goals, 92 draw controls and 65 ground balls in 2015. She was also tabbed first team all-region and first team all-conference.

Junior Kyra Bradley is also back for the Oilers and returns after being named the GLIAC Attacker of the Year. The first team all-region and first team all-league pick led the GLIAC with 75 goals. She scored a GLIAC-best 28 free position goals as well.

In addition, senior Elisabeth Montalvo and sophomores Olivia Sherman, Maddi Brown and Natalie Fury captured honorable mention all-league status for the Oilers last season and will return to form a solid nucleus of players in 2016.

Lake Erie Storm
Head Coach: Mallory Ferrandiz
2nd Season
2016 Preseason Pick: T-4th

OVERVIEW: 

The Lake Erie College women's lacrosse team looks to improve upon their 2015 campaign this year.  The Storm finished last season with a 7-8 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the GLIAC, falling in the conference semifinals to McKendree University.  Taylor Mathis was named the 2015 GLIAC Freshman of the Year.  In her rookie season, Mathis scored 43 goals and assisted on nine more while picking up 62 draw controls and 29 groundballs.  Also returning is All-GLIAC player Anastasia Crawford, who led the Storm with 47 goals last year.  The Storm also welcomes back Hana Abu-Kwiek who missed the 2015 campaign.

Defensively, goalie Katie Holden returns for her senior year.  Katie allowed 11.99 goals per game last year, making 130 saves.  She will be joined on defense by Emma Manning, who was named an All-GLIAC Defender last year.

The Storm welcomes seven new players this season.

McKendree Bearcats
Head Coach: Melissa Gyllenborg
2nd Season
2016 Preseason Pick: T-4th

OVERVIEW: 

The McKendree University women's lacrosse team is preparing to improve on last year's successful season. Head coach Melissa Gyllenborg is entering her second season and is looking to improve on their school-record 11 wins last season when they open their season on Feb. 20 at home against Lindenwood University at 1 p.m. McKendree reached the semifinals of the GLIAC Tournament last spring.

The Bearcats return all five of their All-Conference honorees from last season, in junior Ola Abdallah, senior Janelle Woods, sophomore Paige Salthouse, junior Victoria Lelo, and sophomore Dana DiPasquale. Salthouse and DiPasquale were also both All-Tournament selections last spring.

 

Indianapolis Greyhounds
Head Coach: Jillian Howley
Inaugural Season
2016 Preseason Pick: 6th

OVERVIEW: 

The University of Indianapolis welcomes the sport of lacrosse to the Circle City in 2016. The Greyhounds are fielding a men's and women's squad for the first time in school history, with the women opening action against Lindenwood on February 13.

Jillian Howley, a 2009 graduate of Robert Morris University, will lead the Greyhounds after a two-year stint as head coach of Lake Erie College. Under Howley's guidance, Lake Erie went 20-15 in her two seasons, after the team finished just 3-13 in the year prior to her taking over (2012). She also ranks fifth on Robert Morris's all-time scoring list (72 goals, 89 points).

Three mid-year transfers are sure to make an instant impact for the Hounds this spring. Juniors Chalane Morrison (attack) and Erika Mackenzie (midfield) and sophomore attack Anna Rulapaugh all come to UIndy from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina. Morrison was a second-team All-Conference selection last season, while Rulapaugh tallied 30 points in her 2015 freshman campaign.

Freshman Hana Priddy should see significant time at attack as well as the draw circle and fellow newcomers Hannah Burczyk and Sydney Hauffman will man much of the midfield duties. Hannah Reho and Genevieve Jablonski will help to lead the defensive efforts with Irene Carlquist in net.

Walsh Cavaliers
Head Coach: Christy Mitchell
4th Season
2016 Preseason Pick: 7th

OVERVIEW: 

Walsh is looking forward to its fourth collegiate season in history and looking to improve upon last season's 5-11 overall record. The Cavaliers were absent from the GLIAC playoffs, but have a strong core group returning.

The Cavs return 12 letter winners against losing four with 100 percent of the offensive production and last year's goalkeeper for this season. Steffi Zepp (Jr., Dublin, Oio/Coffman) led the attack last year with 27 goals and six assists for 33 points. Maria Nobile (Jr., Westerville, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) and Emma Armour (So., Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) also return after they scored 22 goals each in 2015. Tia Tyler (Sr., Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) returns in goal for her fourth and final season.